Going Out
by NGOfan2014
Summary: Set at the end series 4. Lee is finally back home following his stay in hospital after he was hit by a car, and his brush with mortality spurs him and and Lucy to confront their feelings for each other at last. What will happen when their relationship changes from 'not going out' to 'going out?
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry it's been so long since I published anything, I've been really busy lately and although I've been writing none of the stories I am working on have been ready to start publishing until now. I'm already missing the new series of Not Going Out, I wish there had been more episodes. Roll on the Christmas Special! I've been rewatching old series of Not Going Out and after a series 4 marathon I was inspired to write this. I hope you enjoy it, it's going to be several chapters long.**

Lee and Lucy were sat on the sofa, talking. Lee had finally been alllowed home from hospital a couple of days ago, and he was at last feeling like himself again after the disorientation of waking up from a week long coma.

" _When you were in a coma, did you dream?_ ", Lucy asked.

Lee started to tap one foot nervously.

" _A bit"._

 _"What did you dream about?"_

Lee had hoped Lucy wouldn't ask him this question, as he didn't really know how to answer it.

" _Just my recurring one about being chased by a giant orangutan whilst he's strangling a cat. I'm going to have to stop watching those Simply Red videos"._

Lee, unsure whether he should tell Lucy that he dreamt about little else other than her, had decided to try and brush her question off with a joke, just as he always did when things got intense between them.

" _Come on, what did you dream about?"_

Lucy wasn't going to leave it then.

" _I dreamt about you actually"._

 _"Did you?"_

Lucy seemed surprised, and intrigued.

" _You were married with kids"._

 _"Who to?"_

 _"Don't know who it was"._

 _"Was he good looking?"_

 _"I would, in fact I have"._

Lucy wondered what on earth Lee was talking about. She'd noticed his body language change though, he seemed on edge now, and was trying to avoid eye contact with her.

" _What was he like?"_

 _"Oh, you know the type. Witty and erudite, with a fine line in sarcasm that always manages to stay on the right sue if endearing, and a nice light touch when it came to risqué banter that always managed to be cheeky and never blue"._

 _"Hmmm...that sounds strangely like someone I know..Lee...was it you? Was I married to you in your dream?"_

Lucy was pretty sure now that this was what Lee was getting at, but she was certain he would try to change the subject any second.

Lee hesitated. He had felt a new closeness between them since he had woken up, and he had been aware of Lucy's constant presence at his bedside when he was in hospital. He hadn't mentioned it to her but he knew she'd been there, nearly all of the time. He'd heard her talking to him, felt her holding his hand, unwilling to let it go, he'd heard her refuse to go home to sleep when Tim had told her to. So he felt more confident than before, and if recent events had taught him anything it was that life was too short. Too short to keep dancing around the truth. So he found himself compelled to be honest, despite his nerves,

" _Erm...I...I...yes...we were married"._

His voice had become really quiet now, and he was shifting where he sat, clearly nervous.

Lucy looked a little surprised at his confession. She hadn't really expected him to say that, she'd expected him to tell another joke and change the subject. Did this mean he had feelings for her? She hardly dared hope.

" _Oh...how many kids did we have...and were we happy_?"

She wasn't sure what else to say.

" _We had loads of kids, I lost count, and we had our ups and downs, but in the end... yes we were happy"._

He didn't tell her that he almost didn't wake up because he didn't want to leave her.

" _Lee...what do you think it meant? They say all dreams have meanings right?"_

 _"Err..l..."_

Lee was scared now, but the way Lucy was looking at him, if seemed she might be receptive. He gave himself a talking to in his head, deciding he had to be brave and just tell her.

" _It means...I may have feelings...for you_ ".

Lucy gulped. Her pulse started to race, and she'd suddenly become very aware of her heartbeat.

" _May have?"_

 _"It means...l like you...that maybe I'd like to be more than just friends but I realise that will probably never happen so I don't really know why I'm telling you this..."_

 _"Who said that?"_

 _"No one but I assumed you don't look at me in that way"._

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lee never talked about his feelings, it was the thing that frustrated her about him the most. Maybe the doctor at the hospital had been right. Maybe Lee had woken up from his coma a more sensitive, emotionally mature person.

" _Well, maybe you're wrong. The truth is, when you were in hospital, and we didn't know if you were going to pull through, or if you'd be the same person when you woke up...I...the way I felt...the way it...seeing you like that...affected me, it sort of surprised me. It made realise a few things"._

 _"What things?"_

 _"Sorry, I know I'm babbling and I'm probably not making any sense but even before your accident...recently, my feelings for you seem to be changing...or maybe they were always... What I mean is, they seem to be developing into...something new. I don't quite what that something is but I'd like to explore it further..."._

 _"Really? You mean there's a possibility of something happening between us?"_

 _"I'd say it was more than a possibility"._

Lucy smiled, shyly. Lee inched closer to her and began to lean in, as though he was going to kiss her.

" _Wait... if it's okay I'd like to take this slowly, see how things go before we dive into anything...you know, physical. Maybe we could start with a date"._

Lee looked slightly disappointed as Lucy moved away from him, and she felt bad. She wanted to kiss Lee, she really did, but she had started to feel a little overwhelmed by the situation. He nodded, almost secretly relieved. As much as he wanted to kiss Lucy, more than kiss her, the thought of taking that step scared him to the point his hands had started to tremble. He felt himself start to breathe again,

" _Actually, I've got two tickets to Wimbledon on Saturday. I was going to ask if you wanted to go"._

 _"I'd love to. You can teach me all about dog racing, I'm sure it will be fun"._

 _"I don't mean the greyhounds this time. I've got tickets to the tennis"._

 _"No way!"._

Lucy's face lit up, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

 _"Yep, though it's court one I'm afraid, my budget wouldn't quite stretch to Centre court tickets"._

 _"I don't care which court it is, I've just always wanted to go. I can't wait"._

 _"Great, neither can I. When I bought them I worried you'd say no when I asked. I thought you might have a better offer"._

 _"No, the only thing had lined up on Saturday was with the hoover and ironing board. I was going to spend the day doing housework"._

 _"So is it a date then?"_

 _"It's a date"..._


	2. Chapter 2

**At Wimbledon...**

 **"** _Typical bloody British weather! So-called summer!",_ Lee exclaimed, disappointed and frustrated.

Today was him and Lucy's first official date, and so far it wasn't going as well as he'd envisaged. By now they should have been enjoying strawberries and cream, maybe even a glass of Champagne, in the sun. It could have been really romantic. Instead, they were sitting glumly on the plastic chairs, wishing more than anything they had brought umbrellas as they got ever more soaked through, rain continuing to fall without respite.

Play had stopped over ten minutes ago now, the umprire making the decision to halt the match just 15 minutes after it started, when what was originally just a few drops of rain hitting the court almost straight away became a torrential downpour. It was quite fascinating at first, watching the girl and ball boys immediately springing into action and pulling the waterproof cover over the court as the players disappeared inside the building and various officials dashed around. Now it was just...relentlessly wet.

The people around them were gradually vacating the court, each giving up hope that play would restart any time soon. Lee and Lucy were among the handful of spectators still holding their ground, seemingly determined to not to let the weather spoil their day out. The difference though between Lee and Lucy and the other remaining spectators was that everyone else had clearly thought to check the weather forecast before they left home this morning and were wearing waterproofs and sheltering under umbrellas. Lucy heard Lee sigh, and seeing how crestfallen he looked by the situation, decided to try and make him feel better, despite the fact she was now uncomfortably soggy herself.

" _Nevermind, maybe the rain will stop soon. I think the sky might be brightening up_ ".

Lee had the feeling Lucy wasn't really as optimistic as she was making out.

" _Do you reckon?"_

 _"Yeah...look, I don't think the rain is as heavy now"_.

Lee looked down at himself and noticed he could see skin through his shirt,

" _Oh blimey, I wish I hadn't worn this white shirt now, it's gone completely seethrough_ ".

Lucy had noticed this too, but she had been trying not to stare, aware of the warmth spreading across her cheeks as her attention was drawn to his clinging shirt again. She had said she thought they should see how things went before they moved on to anything physical, and her head still told her that was the right and responsible thing to do. Yet, right now the thought of maintaining her resolve was getting harder. Right now she just wanted to jump Lee, to feel his body against her own and kiss him until she ran out of breath.

In an effort to stop her mind wandering she tried to keep her eyes on his face, but as he moistened his lips with his tongue then combed his hand through his wet hair, causing the droplets of rain to run down his face, she thought it best to look away completely. Did he have any idea how sexy he looked right now? How alarmingly...tempting.

Lee spoke again, " _Maybe we should go. I don't know about you but I'm getting cold just sitting here. I'm so sorry Lucy"._

Hearing Lee speak snapped Lucy out of her daydream.

" _It's not your fault, you can't control the weather. I'm disappointed but there'll be another time"._

They got up from their seats and started walking towards the exit.

" _Yeah, but I'm sorry I couldn't afford centre court tickets, with the roof and everything we'd still be warm and dry and watching tennis"._

 _"It's okay, I just appreciate the thought. And I know the cost of centre court tickets means most ordinary people would need a bank loan to pay for them"._

 _"Yeah, that or sell their body. What do you say?"_

 _"I'm not selling my body Lee"._

 _"I meant me"._

 _"If you sold yours we might not even be able to afford the strawberries and cream"._

Lucy was grinning and Lee knew she was only teasing, but he played along anyway, feigning a look of offence.

" _How dare you, I'll have you know there are lots of women who would pay good money for a piece of this"._

 _"And who could blame them, you look like Mr Darcy in that wet shirt"._

Lee smiled shyly, and couldn't think of what to say next. He may have been the king of witty comebacks but he never knew how to respond when Lucy complimented him.

Lucy put her arm around Lee as they walked and he returned the gesture. They both felt warmer immediately, their physical closeness generating heat.

" _Come on Mr Darcy, let's go in the cafe and get a warm drink"._

 _"Sounds like a good idea to me"._

 _"I don't know about you but I'm not sure I've ever been this wet. I'm pretty sure even my pants are soaked through now"._

" _Well...I do tend to have that affect on women. Is it the Mr Darcy thing?"_

Lucy screwed up her face slightly, though she had asked for his remark to be fair. She knew Lee well enough to know she couldn't expect to mention her underwear without him making some cheeky retort.

" _You know that's not what I meant"._

Though she gave Lee a look of disapproval, Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself as she saw the expression on Lee's face. It was that slightly tilted head, raised eyebrow, lip biting expression that was so familiar to her now. It was almost Lee's trademark, slightly more subtle than the full Carry on film "ooh matron" but still loaded with meaning. There was something charming about it, something almost disconcertingly attractive.

Lee, seeing Lucy roll her eyes, hoped he hadn't overstepped the mark. He wouldn't have thought anything of being that cheeky or flirtatious with Lucy before, but now something more than just flirtation was on the cards between them, perhaps he needed to think before he spoke more.

They walked into the cafe and took a seat, the warmth inside the building providing immediate relief from the discomfort of being cold and wet.

" _Sorry, if I was inappropriate just then. You know sometimes my mouth engages before my brain"._

 _"Only sometimes?"_

 _"Alright, I said sorry didn't I?"_

 _"It's okay, don't look so worried. I'm not that easily offended. I've lived with you for several years, I'm used to it"._

 _"Still, I didn't mean to embarrass you"._

 _"I'm not embarrassed"._

 _"Oh, it's just you're still bright red, I assumed..."._

Lucy had felt the warmth rise in her face, but had hoped Lee hadn't noticed. It was what he had said. Of course it was meant as a throwaway remark to make her laugh, but the images it conjured up in her mind, and the fact the comment was so close to home, to how he made her feel, she couldn't help but blush.

" _Oh, I'm not blushing, it's...it's the probably because my face got cold, you know...in the rain. And coming in to a warm cafe, the change in temperature, you know"._

Shut up Lucy, she said to herself. She was sounding flustered now, and the more she spoke the more she was babbling.

Lee decided not to push his luck any further, and decided to rescue Lucy by moving the conversation on.

" _Of course. So, do you want a tea, coffee, hot chocolate?"_

Lucy visibly relaxed at the change of subject.

" _A Cappuccino would be nice"._

 _"Coming up"._

Lee got up and went to the counter, coming back with two steaming cups of coffee. He handed one to Lucy and sat back down. She took a sip and relaxed back in her seat.

" _Mmm, that's just what I needed. What do I owe you?"_

 _"Nothing, it's on me"._

 _"Thanks. I might just go to the loo and dry my hair with the hand dryer, I won't be a minute"._

Lucy came back a few minutes later with her hair all dried and brushed.

" _Is that better?"._

 _"Yeah, though my clothes are still wet. Not much I can do about that really"._

 _"You could take them off and hold them under the hand dryer"._

 _"Yes of course, because no one would think that was weird at all would they?"_

 _"It was just a suggestion. We'll just have to stay in here for as long as possible then won't we and hopefully our clothes will dry naturally"._

 _"Yep, I suppose so. I can't believe we didn't check the weather forecast this morning"._

 _"I've said it before, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Anyway, I looked yesterday, and it wasn't saying rain then. Sorry our date has turned out to be a complete washout Lucy"._

" _You don't have to keep apologising for the weather Lee. This is nice anyway, just sitting having coffee with you. You're good company"._

 _"And I suppose this morning could have been worse. At least cliff Richard didn't sing"._

 _"That's very true. I do admire your positive outlook on life"._

 _"Yep, my glass is always half full"._

 _"Yeah, I've noticed...of beer mostly"._

" _Ha ha Lucy, very funny_ ", Lee responded sarcastically.

" _So, shall we just hang around for a bit in case the rain stops? We might be able to go back to see some tennis if the match starts again"_ , Lucy wasn't ready to abandon their date just yet".

" _We could do, I'll have a look at the weather on my phone. Oh no, the forecast is for this rain to carry on all day"._

 _"Oh. Will you get a refund for the tickets?"._

 _"Yeah, it said when I booked that refunds are given if play is cancelled due to rain"_

 _"Good, that's something at least. I suppose we may as well go home then. Looks like it's going to be housework today after all"._

 _"Not necessarily. Why don't we find something indoors to to?"_

 _"Okay. Actually, I know it isn't really your sort of thing, but there's an art exhibition I really want to see at the Tate gallery. It won't take that long to get there on the tube. What do you think?"_

Lee didn't look convinced, then had an idea.

" _I'll tell you what. I'll come to your art exhibition if you'll come to the dog racing with me later. We could go to Walthamstow so we don't have to come back out this way"._

 _"Okay, it's a deal"._

Lucy didn't hesitate in agreeing to Lee's suggestion. She wanted to prove to him that she wasn't a snob and was happy to take an interest in his hobbies. She decided she would forget all of her preconceptions about dog racing and go there with an open mind.

Lee was surprised and really chuffed that Lucy had agreed to go to the dogs with him. He imagined she probably wasn't massively keen right now but he knew that she would enjoy herself when she was actually there. Now he just had to make the effort to be enthusiastic about something Lucy enjoyed. The previous two occasions he had been to an art gallery may have been slightly disastrous, but today would be different, he was determined about that...


	3. Chapter 3

**The Art Exhibition**

Several coffees, shopping to buy umbrellas and a tube journey later, Lee and Lucy emerged from Westminster underground station and started walking towards the Tate Britain. The weather wasn't any better here, and there weren't many people around.

" _So what is this art exhibition we're going to see then?"_

 _"It's called 'Work, Rest and Play'"._

 _"What's that, artwork using melted Mars Bars instead of paint?"_

 _"No Lee, it's an exhibition of work by new artists depicting a variety of aspects of work and leisure in the UK"._

 _"Oh, right. So will it be paintings, sculpture, or what?_

 _"A mixture apparently. It should be interesting. I read some reviews of it online and they were all positive"._

 _"I don't know, I still like the melted Mars Bar idea"._

 _"I bet you do, I can just imagine you going around licking the paintings"._

" _Mmm, edible art, why hasn't anyone thought of that?"._

 _"They probably have. Just not in the exhibition we're going to see. If you're hungry maybe we should stop somewhere and have lunch first"._

 _"Okay, let's do that"..._

...

At the gallery...

The first piece Lee and Lucy came to was an impressionist painting of a seaside scene. It was simply called 'holiday'.

" _I wonder where this is. The description doesn't say where"_ , Lucy pondered.

" _It's Blackpool. If you look really closely you can just make out the Blackpool Tower in the distance_ ", Lee explained. He continued,

" _This reminds me of being a child. We always went on holiday to Blackpool. I loved it there"._

 _"I always wanted to go there as a child. My parents never wanted to drive that far, so we always went to Brighton or Dorset. I remember other children at school saying they'd been there to see the illuminations and it always sounded like some magical place to me"._

 _"I wouldn't describe as that. It's kind of tacky and loud and the beach isn't the best in the world, but as a child it had everything you could want from a holiday resort"._

 _"Still, as tacky and loud as it is I'd like to go there just because I want to experience it"._

 _"I tell you what, I'll take you there one day if you like"._

 _"Is that an official offer? Will you really take me there?"_

 _"Yep, we can stay for the weekend in an old fashioned guest house with a scary landlady, I can show you all of my old childhood haunts, the pleasure beach, the pier, the promenade, the tower, the best ice cream in the Northwest. As long as your expectations aren't too high you'll love it"._

 _"How many times have you said that to a woman?"_

" _Ouch! I'll gloss over that comment, for now"._

 _"One thing though, I'm not sure about the guesthouse"._

 _"Sorry, I wasn't assuming we'd share, I mean we could have separate rooms if you wanted"._

 _"I don't have a problem sharing a room with you, it's the scary landlady thing that puts me off. I'll take you up on your offer as long as we can stay in a proper hotel"._

 _"Okay, a proper hotel it is"._

Lucy smiled shyly as she met Lee's gaze. He was blushing, and she was was pretty sure her cheeks were as red as his. The temperature in the room seemed to have risen by several degrees all of a sudden.

Lee couldn't believe that Lucy had just agreed to spend a weekend in a hotel together. So far this seeing how things go thing appeared to be going very well indeed.

They walked towards the next exhibit, Lucy slightly ahead of Lee.

" _'Company' by Daniel Garrett. This one will be up your street Lee. There's a naked woman"._

 _"So I see, and a naked man. Oh, are they having sex?"_

 _"No Lee, they're playing naked Monopoly and they've fallen on top of each other. Of course they're having sex"._

 _"Naked Monopoly, that sounds like fun. Do y..."_

 _"Don't even say it. The woman is certainly in a very...interesting position"._

 _"I'd have gone for uncomfortable"._

 _"Well, to be that flexible she must do Pilates, that's all I can say"._

 _"You do Pilates"._

Lee didn't know why that had come out of his mouth. Why did I say that?, he thought to himself. Now Lucy will be thinking that I'm imagining her using her...flexibility...in the bedroom. He braced himself for a telling off or stare of disapproval. It never came.

" _Yes, I do"_ , was Lucy's response

Lucy's eyes met Lee's then and they just gazed at each for a few seconds, neither willing to look away. Lucy cleared her throat and returned her focus to the painting.

" _Anyway, it's very well painted don't you think? This artist really knows how to capture the nude form"._

Lee exhaled at last very relieved that Lucy had moved the conversation on.

" _He certainly does. It's quite...graphic. Clearly this one's in the 'leisure' category"._

 _"Actually it's both"._

 _"What?"_

 _"The woman in the painting is a prostitute"._

 _"Oh. How do you know that?"._

 _"It's says so in the description"._

 _"Oh, yeah"._

 _"Do you think he painted this from his imagination or do you think it's drawn from real life?"_

 _"Real life"._

 _"How do you know that?"_

" _It says so in the description. You haven't quite mastered the whole reading thing yet have you?_

 _"The note says the artist visited a brothel and was present during a 'meeting' between the lady and her client"._

 _"Meeting?, that's an interesting euphemism"._

 _"Anyway, he sketched the basic outline of the painting then completed it in his studio after the event"._

 _"Sounds like the painting was just an excuse for him to engage in some voyeurism then. I can imagine the conversation with his wife when he got home. 'No darling I didn't just go to a brothel to watch a prostitute having sex with one of her clients. I was doing research'. I'm surprised they're allowed to show this here"._

Lee felt a little uncomfortable looking at this picture with Lucy. After all, he already found it difficult enough in her presence to not think about sex. To not let his mind wander to inappropriate thoughts every time he looked at her. To not imagine what it would be like to kiss her right now, to run his fingers through her hair and part her lips with his tongue, taste her, touch her, to feel her hands exploring his body, to make her sigh and moan as he held her against the wall and dragged his lips over her neck...

Lee pinched himself then, forcing himself to snap out of his daydream. No, right now he really didn't need sex waved in front of his face.

" _Why? It's not exactly pornographic"._

 _"It doesn't leave much to the imagination"._

 _"Of all people, I never expected you to be a prude. It's artistic"._

 _"Yet you once said the magazines you found in my room were filthy"._

 _"That's...different. You can't actually see any...you know...private parts in this painting"._

 _"I'm not being a prude. I'm just saying, this painting is borderline pornographic. I can see the artist is very talented. It's just the subject...I don't know, it seems a bit...exploitative. That woman's not only having to sleep with with that old man but also be watched and painted by the artist. I don't suppose she got paid that well and the artist will no doubt make thousands when this gets sold"._

" _I see what you're saying, and I sort of agree. But the prostitute must have consented to the transaction. She would have been paid by the client and the artist. Some feminists consider that as long as prostitution is by choice, then it's a valid career like any other. They argue that in the dynamic between between prostitute and client it's the prostitute who holds the power. That their work is a way of gaining substantial financial reward and therefore independence, that what they are selling is no different to say...you selling ice creams. I'm not saying I necessarily agree with that, and of course those arguments can't apply in every case, but I don't see what the difference is between this situation and the nude models in your magazines. Not to mention the women in those films you watch online"._

 _"You've got a point, to be honest, I've stopped watching those films and I was going to get rid of my magazines anyway. I never look at them now. I'm not that person anymore"._

Lee had found he didn't get much pleasure from either of those thing these days. The women in them, well quite simply they weren't Lucy. It was only her he fancied and wanted now. Anyone else just didn't do it for him anymore.

" _I'm glad to hear it. Lee?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Did we just have an intellectual debate about whether the study of the human body in art can be considered exploitation?"_

 _"I think we sort of did. And I enjoyed it"._

 _"And did you just say you won't be looking at girly magazines or online porn anymore?"_

 _"Yes I did say that"._

 _"Tell me then, who are you and what have you done with Lee?"_

 _"Well, when you have a near death experience it changes your outlook, it makes you reevaluate things. I've decided it's about time I stopped behaving like a teenager and became more...responsible, and more thoughtful. I've wasted too much of my life wallowing in my own lazy, selfish existence. I want to learn stuff, experience new things. I want to be a better person, not just for me, but for y...for...other people"._

 _"Wow, that's great Lee. I always knew you had it in you, although I don't think you were entirely selfish before by the way, you've always been there for me. You're better than you think you know, you're a good person"._

 _'It means a lot to me that you think so. I'm going to need some help by the way, with all of this. I'm going to need you to guide me through this whole growing up thing"._

 _"Okay, I'd be happy to. Promise me one thing though"._

 _"What's that?"_

 _"That you won't lose your sense of humour and fun. There's something delightfully contagious about your happy-go-lucky nature. Okay, so it's not necessarily a good thing to be like that all the time but I like it when you make me laugh. Promise me you'll always keep making me laugh"._

" _I promise. Talking of fun, about that naked Monopoly thing..."_

Lucy rolled her eyes but found herself grinning at the same as she walked off ahead. There he was, same old cheeky but charming Lee.

The next piece at the gallery was a sculpture of a miner, called 'A Lost World'.

Lucy examined it closely.

" _This is good, I really like this. The way the artist has captured the physicality of the person, and the detail, you can almost see the years of toil etched into the man's face. It's very cleverly done. What do you think Lee?"._

 _"I agree, even the eyes, it's like they could tell a million stories. They've managed to portray the man as strong, brave and proud, but I also see a tiredness and struggle in his eyes. I'm very impressed. What's the sculptor called?"._

Lucy was slightly taken aback. She had half expected Lee to do nothing but be negative and make sarcastic remarks at the exhibition. When she'd dipped in to buying and selling art a few years ago with the help of Guy, Lee had made it clear what he thought about that whole world. But now he seemed to be something of a changed man, almost brimming with enthusiasm, and clearly had a natural flare for talking about art. An art critic in the making perhaps.

" _Erm...Elizabeth Wright"._

 _"It's by a woman?"_

 _"Yes Lee, these days women are allowed into art school you know"._

 _"I didn't mean it like that, I just wrongly thought such a masculine sculpture must be by a man. I'm still learning this whole culture thing remember Lucy, don't judge me"._

 _"Actually, I confess I assumed it was by a man at first as well. Like you say, the work screams masculinity so it's an understandable assumption to make"._

 _"Is she well known, this Elizabeth Wright?"_

 _"No, they're all new artists remember"._

 _"Oh yeah. Well, I reckon she'll go far"_

 _"I agree, this is my favourite exhibit so far"._

 _"Me too. It's the feeling I get looking at it, I can't put my finger on it but it's powerful. Maybe it's something to do with where I came from. I still remember seeing the miners walking past the house on their way back from work, faces filthy with coal dust, and I remember when the mines started to close down, it afffected the whole town. Mining was a way of life, not just a job, there was a whole community that revolved around it. I guess that's why the piece is called 'A Lost World', because when the mines went, that whole way of life disappeared"._

" _Yep, it's quite sad when you think about it really isn't it?"_

 _"Yes and no. Of course there were hard times but those communities were resilient, and have managed to go on. Yes, mining was many people's world, but it was a tough, physically exhausting and dangerous job. After the mines closed it took time for people to get back onto their feet but there's other employment back home now. I mean, we were talking about exploitation earlier, and there's definitely an argument that miners were exploited. They did all that hard and dangerous work for very little pay, often poorly treated by the colliery owners who were taking all the profits and living it up in their big suburban houses"._

 _"I never really thought about it like that. You hear all this stuff about miners and their communities, you know brass bands and the like, and it's almost like that whole way of life has been glamourised. Or idealised at the very least"._

 _"Exactly. Life in a Northern town wasn't just one big cosy Hovis advert. There was a lot of poverty around. My mum struggled, as a single parent, to make ends meet"._

 _"We really did have very different upbringings didn't we?"._

 _"Yeah we did. Don't get me wrong, having said all of that, my childhood wasn't all about hardship, and it would've been a lot tougher a few generations earlier. I had some great times as a kid, I've got some great memories. I was quite lucky compared to some children. I had a roof over my head, and food on my plate"._

 _"So, were any of your family miners?",_

 _"My grandad was, though he retired before I was born. I think maybe that's why I'm getting goosebumps looking at this sculpture though. Maybe there's mining blood in my veins. I've never felt like that looking at art before, I never expected that to happen"._

 _"Obviously what constitutes 'good' art is in the eye of the beholder, it's subjective, but I always think art should move you, or make you think, or challenge you. That's how I look at it anyway"._

 _"I think that's a good way of looking at it. After all, if art doesn't make you feel something then what's the point?_

" _Exactly. You know what? You might be new to this whole culture thing but you're a fast learner. Keep going like this and we'll have you graduating from Special Brew to fine wines next"._

 _"One step at a time, Lucy. I shouldn't be running before I can walk"._

 _"True. There's always craft beer. There's several artisan brewerys close to where we live"._

 _"Ha! Craft beer, that's such a hipster fad. They call them 'craft beers' just so they can sell bottles of the stuff at four times the price as other beer to posh boys with buns and beards half way down their chests. At the end of the day beer is beer and if you drink enough of it you'll get pissed. Let's not pretend otherwise"._

 _"I was only joking when I said about the Special Brew / fine wine thing by the way"._

 _"I know you were, it's just the term 'craft beer', it winds me up"._

 _"I can tell. Let's change the subject. I know, let's discuss your elocution lessons"._

Lucy was smirking now, and had that mischievous twinkle in her eyes that Lee loved. It was the same look she always had when they were flirting with each other and he couldn't get enough of it.

" _Very funny Professor Higgins! I wish I'd never said that thing about wanting to learn new things now. I was asking for trouble"._

 _"Shall we move on to the next piece?"._

 _"I think that's a good idea"._

...

Lee really hadn't expected to enjoy the exhibition, but he loved it. He loved the whole experience, spending time in Lucy's company, sharing something she enjoyed, having proper grown up conversations with her. Well, mostly grown up, there was still a lot of flirting and sarcasm. Neither could help themselves, it just came naturally when they were together.

Lee continued to surprise himself and Lucy as they took in the rest the exhibition, many of his opinions and observations about the art unexpectedly insightful and profound. There were a couple of moments when Lee made Lucy cringe, like when he insulted one of the artists in front of his face, and when he mistook one of the sculptures for a rubbish bin. Yet, although she had been embarrassed at the time, these were the moments she knew her and Lee would laugh about back home, and that she would remember in the spent with Lee was never boring, that was for sure. He certainly liked to keep Lucy on her toes, and for some reason instead of putting her off, this only fuelled her attraction to him.

 **Next chapter: Dog Racing**


	4. Chapter 4

**Dog Racing**

" _I can't believe how big this place is"_ , Lucy was surprised by the scale of the greyhound stadium.

" _It seats five thousand people apparently, although I've never seen anything like that number of people here"._

 _"So, what's the best way of approaching this? I've no idea what I'm doing"._

 _"Well, I suggest you set a maximum amount you want spend on bets, and stick to it. Secondly, read the booklet, take note of the previous form of the dogs and the odds, don't just choose them because you like the name"._

 _"Okay. Do you think twenty pounds is enough?"_

 _"Yes, it should be. The good thing about dog racing is they let you place fairly small bets"._

 _"How do you put bets on?"_

 _"Someone comes around with a little machine that prints of your betting slip. It's really easy. Do you want something to eat?"_

" _What do they do?"_

 _"It's certainly not fine dining, but they do a decent sausage batch and the jacket potatoes are nice. They've got burgers, chips, you know that sort of thing"._

 _"I'll have a jacket potato. With cheese and beans if they've got it"._

 _"Good choice, that's what I was going to have. I'll go and order.._."

...

 **A little later...**

" _Come on! Run faster you mangy little git!",_ Lee was yelling fruitlessly, starting to get annoyed now. So far he hadn't won a penny, unlike Lucy.

" _Yes, yes! That's it, only a few metres to go now, yessssss! Lee, I won again!_ ", Lucy enthused. This was the four race, and so far she'd won something on every one.

" _I noticed, well done. How many wins is that so far?"_

 _"Four out of four. I'm twenty pounds up now! It's beginners luck though, and I'm sure you'll win something in a minut_ e", Lucy added, not wanting to sound too smug.

" _Maybe, but as long as you're having fun, that's the main thing"._

Lucy was enjoying herself, more than she ever thought she would, and Lee was loving seeing her let go and have a good time.

" _I am, this is brilliant fun, why have you never taken me here before?"_

 _"You turned your nose up when I suggested it remember"._

 _"Well, I was wrong and I don't mind admitting it"._

 _"Can you say that again while I record it on my phone? Or maybe write it down on this programme. I'm not sure I've ever heard you say you were wrong before"._

Lucy chose not to bite to Lee's comment, as it was obvious he was just teasing.

" _Oi, cheeky. You know that's not true. What do you reckon for the next race? Look, Lee, there's one call Blackpool Bobby', surely that's a sign._

 _"I don't know, reading this he hasn't won a race all season"._

 _"I know but the name, after what we were talking about earlier. I've just got a feeling"._

 _"Then you should go with it. It's your money, and since you're up so far I suppose you haven't got anything to lose"._

Lucy decided to risk putting ten pounds on the dog to win. Lee thought she was mad, but kept his thoughts to himself. Lucy's instincts had all been right so far after all. And since she was currently the one on a winning streak he wasn't really in a position to give advice.

She stood nervously as the race started, fingers crossed. If Blackpool Bobby won she would win a hundred pounds, so there was a lot riding on this race.

Before the race started one of the dogs decided to go to the toilet just short of the starting line.

" _Oh no, is that my dog? Is he doing a poo?",_ Lucy asked, unimpressed.

" _Yes it is, they do that sometimes. Some people say that's a good luck. It might be a sign of excitement, which is good, and when they start the race he'll be lighter after all"._

 _"Oh yeah, good point"._

During the race Lucy ended up holding on to Lee and watching with one eye as she buried her head in his arm. It wasn't looking good at first, then half way into the race her dog suddenly started to move forward then away from the rest of the runners.

She removed her head from Lee's arm then stood up straight, beginning to jump up and down on the spot with nerves and excitement. A few seconds later Blackpool Bobby crossed the line, just ahead of the dog that had been hot on its heals for most of the race.

" _Oh my God, He won, I won, I can't believe it_!", Lucy, without even thinking, pulled Lee into a celebratory hug, and he allowed his arms to wrap around her, relaxing into the embrace.

They seemed reluctant to let go of each other, and only parted when a group of people trying to get past them said 'excuse me' quite loudly.

Lee felt a bit awkward then. He didn't want Lucy to think he hadn't wanted let go of her. Not that she had shown any sign of wanting to let go of him.

" _So, erm...what are you going to with your winnings?"  
_

 _"I could put the money towards our trip to Blackpool. It only seems fitting"._

 _"You're still up for that then?"_

 _"Definitely"._

 _"Great"._

Lee didn't really know what else to say, and there were a few moments of silence between them, their eyes searching each other's. Lucy felt compelled to speak,

" _So, I think I'm going to leave it there, I'm not going to put any more bets on. I'm £110 up, and I want it to stay that way".  
_

 _"That's sensible. In that case, you can pick my dogs for me seeing as you seem to have a natural instinct for backing the winners. I'm determined to come away from this evening with more money than I brought out with me"._

 _"Okay, but promise you won't moan at me if they don't win. My luck's bound to run out eventually"._

" _I promise, and I'll risk it. Who'd have thought that you who once scoffed at the idea of dog racing would be giving me tips?"_

" _Me for one. Today's been full of surprises"._

 _"In a good way I hope?"._

 _"Definitely in a good way"_ , Lucy replied, smiling at Lee.

...

 **Back at the flat...**

Lucy handed Lee a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa next to him.

" _I was just looking online, I can get tennis tickets for the last Friday of the tournament, they're a bit more expensive but at least we might get to see some matches. You never know, the weather might be better by then"._

 _"I'll pay towards it then".  
_

 _"But it was supposed to be my treat".  
_

 _"I know but it was me who put the idea of going to Wimbledon in your head in the first place. Don't argue with me, just let me pay my share".  
_

 _"Lucy!"  
_

 _"I said don't argue with me!".  
_

 _"Okay, you can pay your share if you insist. But I'll buy the strawberries and cream".  
_

 _"Deal. So, what did you think to the gallery? You seemed to be enjoying yourself. Would you go an art exhibition again?"_

" _Yes, I would actually. I enjoyed it".  
_

 _"Next time promise you'll try not to make anyone cry though".  
_

 _"That wasn't my fault. You told me I should be completely honest about what I thought of all the artwork, and I thought that particular piece was awful. I didn't know the man standing next to me was the artist did I? If he's going to stand there while people look at his work he should expect to hear criticism. Anyway, I said sorry to him, and remember what I said earlier, I'm new to the whole culture thing, so don't judge me"._

" _I'm not, I promise. Though surely even you must admit that asking whether chimps had done the painting was an insult too far".  
_

 _"Fair enough, but again, in my defence, I wasn't expecting the artist to be in earshot"._

 _"That painting, if you could call it that, was dreadful though wasn't it?"_

 _"God, yes. I'm sure I did better paintings myself at primary school"._

" _It was basically just a couple of splashes of paint on a canvas wasn't it. I have to say I've seen quite a lot of modern art like that and I just don't get it".  
_

 _"If that's all it takes to get shown in a gallery then I think I need to sell the ice cream van and set up as an artist. What do you reckon?"  
_

 _"Maybe don't do anything too hasty. I'd miss my free ice creams".  
_

 _"Oh alright then. So, what about you, would you go to the dog racing again?  
_

 _"Of course I would. I can't wait to go again. I can see why you like it now".  
_

 _"I'm pleased you liked it but should I be concerned by this, is this the start of a downwards spiral into gambling addiction?".  
_

 _"No, I'm not suggesting we go back tomorrow or anything. I just mean...next time you want to go, that maybe I might like to come with you, that's all"._

" _Okay".  
_

 _"Lee?"  
_

 _"Yes?"  
_

 _"I just wanted you to to know that...although we only got to see ten minutes of tennis this morning, that I had a really good time today. The art exhibition and the dogs, I had fun, so thanks".  
_

 _"Me too. Does that mean you'll go on another date with me?"  
_

Lee was fairly sure he knew the answer to this question, after all Lucy had agreed to go for a weekend away with him at some point in the future. However, she might have meant as just friends, so he had to be certain.

" _Of course it does. I'd love to"._

Lee and Lucy were so close to each other now, and the atmosphere around them was getting so intense again it was almost suffocating. You could have cut the sexual tension with a knife.

" _How about the cinema? We could get a 2 for 1 deal on Wednesday evening_ ", Lucy spoke, breaking the moment. She wanted to kiss Lee so much right now, but he didn't seem to be willing to make the first move and she didn't have the courage to.

Lee seemed to start to breathing again, and managed to find his voice,

" _Sounds great. I tell you what. I'll let you choose the film".  
_

 _"Or we could agree on one we both want to see".  
_

 _"Nice idea but there's only one problem with that, given the usual difference in our taste in films we'd probably end up having to postpone the date until next year".  
_

 _"I don't know, I think today has proven our taste in things we enjoy is closer than we thought".  
_

 _"That's true. The Fast and the Furious 5 it is then_ ", Lee said, chuckling as he spoke.

" _Perhaps we'll talk about this in the morning. I'm a bit tired".  
_

 _"Oh...okay_ ", Lee said, hoping he hadn't made one sarcastic remark too far.

" _Goodnight Lee_ ", Lucy whispered, kissing him on the cheek and letting her lips linger there long enough to make Lee shiver.

" _Goodnight Luce_ ", he croaked as she moved away and got up from the sofa, and he couldn't stop grinning as he watched her walk towards her bedroom and close her door behind her. Things were finally looking up for him. It was looking more likely than ever that his dreams would finally become a reality...

 **Next chapter: the cinema**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Cinema**

Lee and Lucy were in the foyer of the cinema, having bought their tickets to see the final Harry Potter film. They both wanted to see it so it was an easy decision to make in the end.

" _Do you want Pick n Mix or Popcorn, or are you a Nachos girl?"._

 _"What are you having?"_

 _"Popcorn, sweet of course"._

 _"Can we share then? The medium box should be enough for two"._

 _"Yes, we can share"._

They got to the front of the queue at last.

" _Yes please, what can I get you?"_ , the man serving asked.

" _A regular Diet Coke, a regular 7UP and a medium toffee popcorn please"._

 _"That'll be £8.00 please"._

 _"Bloody hell! I'm assuming the popcorn's made of gold at that price?"_

Lee handed over the money. He remembered now why he didn't go to the cinema very often. He'd wanted to smuggle in his own food and drink but Lucy warned him that her friend once had her handbag searched and sweets confiscated, so he hadn't dared.

" _Can you believe that Lucy, £8.00 for two soft drinks and some popcorn?"_

 _"Hmm...it is expensive, I agree. You have to have popcorn at the cinema though don't you, it's all part of the experience"._

 _"Yeah. I just don't think you should have to take out a small mortgage to pay for it"._

 _"Come on, let's go and find a seat"._

...

Lee turned to look at Lucy again. He kept finding himself doing this, watching her instead of the film, hoping she wouldn't notice. She caught him this time, as she reached into the box of popcorn that sat on his lap.

" _What? Why are you looking at me, have I got popcorn stuck to my face or something?_ ", she whispered.

" _No, it's nothing",_ he answered, quickly returning his attentions to the screen.

Suddenly there was a loud, high pitched noise that made everyone jump out of their skin.

For a second or two everyone assumed the alarm sound was on the film, then the film stopped running, and the emergency lights came on.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, the fire alarm has been activated, please make your way to your nearest emergency exit as quickly as you can but please do not run"._

Lee and Lucy stood up and walked briskly towards the fire door, but before they reached it Lee turned around and started walking back to their seats.

" _Where are you going?"_

 _"I forgot the popcorn, I'm going back to get it, it cost five quid"._

 _"Don't you dare, we're being evacuated!_ ", Lucy grabbed Lee's shirt and pulled him back.

" _It's probably just a fire drill"._

 _"We don't know that, come on!"._

Lee admitted defeat and reluctantly followed Lucy and everyone else to the meeting point outside the front of the cinema.

As people crowded in the small area, they overheard someone say there was a fire somewhere in the building. That's when they noticed a commotion ahead of them, then heard a woman shouting hysterically.

" _Where's Jacob? Wasn't he with you?"_

 _"I thought he was with you"._

 _"No...JACOB! Oh my God, JACOB! He must still be inside. I have to go back in"._

Everyone watched the panicking mum becoming more and more distressed, as cinema staff proceeded to stop her and several other people trying to go back into the building.

" _Let me in, let go of me, my son's in there...he's only seven...please"._

 _"The fire brigade will be here any second, I can hear the sirens. We can't let you enter the building"._

Lee remembered the incident when he was nine, when he found himself lost in a department store when the fire alarm was sounding, unable to find the exit. It turned out there hadn't been a real fire on that occasion, but he hadn't known that at the time and was really scared. He decided he couldn't just stand there when he knew there was a frightened and possibly injured child inside the building. He had to do something. Fuelled by adrenaline, whilst the staff were busy trying to stop the family from going back in, Lee suddenly snook past everyone and ran towards the building. Lucy ran after him.

" _What are you doing? Forget about the bloody popcorn!"._

 _"I'm not going to get the popcorn, I'm going to find the kid"._

 _"But you don't know where the fire is, or how bad it is"._

 _"I can't see any smoke"._

 _"Lee, don't...oh God...just please be careful_ ", Lucy was going to try and persuade Lee not to go in but could tell he wasn't going to change his mind.

" _Don't worry, I'll be fine"._

Lucy looked on in disbelief as Lee disappeared into the building. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest now. Her head was swimming with shock, admiration, then fear and panic as she realised how much danger Lee might have been putting himself in..

As soon as Lee entered the building he smelt the smoke, and his eyes started to sting. He scanned the foyer and saw there was a fire where the arcade machines where. It still hadn't completely taken hold yet.

" _Help! Help! Mummy...Mummy...I can't get up"_.

Lee heard the small child's cries for help, and called out.

" _Where are you?"_

 _"Help me!"_

 _"I've come to get you out, where are you?",_ Lee shouted even louder this time. It was difficult to hear over the alarm.

" _By the sweets. My foot hurts, help me! I don't like the noise. My eyes are stinging"._

Thank God, thought Lee, that was on the opposite side of the foyer to the fire. He started to cough, the smoke seemed to be getting thicker. He quickly removed his jacket and covered his mouth and nose with it, running towards the pick n mix area. As he turned the corner he saw the little boy, sitting on the floor, cowering against the wall. He scooped him up and ran with him in his arms as quickly as he could back to the door. The fire was spreading now, getting dangerously closer by the second.

There was a cheer from the crowd outside as Lee emerged from the building with the boy. The mum ran towards them and took her son from Lee.

" _Thank you, thank you, thank you. Are you okay Jacob?"._

 _"I fell over and my foot hurts, I was scared mummy, and the noise hurt my ears"._

Lucy almost knocked Lee over as she ran up to him and threw her arms around him.

" _Well done...but what an earth possessed you to do that? You could have been seriously hurt, or worse"._

 _"I don't know really, I didn't really think about it, I just saw that mum panicking about her son and the next thing I knew I was in the building"._

Everyone screamed then as there was a loud bang and the sound of smashing glass. The firefighters told everyone to get back from the building. The fire was clearly taking hold now.

Lee started to cough.

" _Are you okay? I think you need to get checked out"._

 _"I'm fine"._

 _"Smoke inhalation can been really dangerous, we need to make sure you're okay",_

As Lee was trying persuade Lucy he was fine a paramedic approached them.

" _I understand you went in to the burning building?"_

 _"It was only a little fire then"._

 _"Did you breathe in any smoke?"._

 _"A bit"._

 _"Any coughing, hoarseness, trouble breathing, vomiting?"_

 _"Coughing, that's all, and my throats feels dry"._

 _"Right, it sounds like your smoke inhalation was probably mild but we'll take you to the hospital, give you oxygen, and run a few tests just in case"._

 _"Is that really necessary?"._

 _"Yes"._

...

At the hospital Lee was given oxygen, had blood tests, a chest x-ray and several other checks to make sure his lungs and respiratory tract were not damaged, as Lucy waited nervously in a relatives room. A couple of hours later he was given the all clear, and they decided to walk back home.

" _I wonder what happened at the end of the film, we'll have to go back and see it again...though we'll probably have to find another cinema. I'm not sure there'll be much of that one left"._

 _"Whatever happens in the film, I doubt it was as dramatic as what happened in real life tonight. I was so scared when you went back into the building"._

 _"It wasn't that dramatic, and I was only in there for about a minute"._

 _"It felt like hours to me"._

Lucy reached out then and took hold of Lee's hand. He grinned, not quite daring to look at her as he gently squeezed her hand. They continued to walk hand in hand, deliberately slowly, taking the long way home via the river.

There was always something special about the river at night, it looked so pretty illuminated by the moon and the lights of the city, twinkling with every colour of the rainbow. Tonight though, it seemed even more magical, the colours and lights brighter than they had ever been.

" _It's so peaceful and calm down here tonight, isn't it?_ ", Lee said quietly.

" _Yeah, it seems unusually quiet. I know this is such a cliche, but I feel like we're the only two people that exist right now. It's hard to believe there are millions of people all around us, going about their business"._

 _"When I walk around London at night, I like to look at all the buildings and imagine who's inside them, what they're doing, what they're talking about"._

 _"I do that too. Do you reckon there are people looking out of their windows watching us right now, wondering who we are and what we're saying?"_

 _"Probably. It's a weird thought, isn't it?"._

 _"Yeah, and maybe a bit creepy. Ah, here's where we turn off"._

They had reached the little path that ran up from the riverside to their street.

...

 **Back home...**

Lee and Lucy were settled down on the sofa with a glass of wine.

" _This is nice_ ", Lucy whispered as she shuffled as close to Lee as she dared.

" _Yeah it is, though we do this nearly every night'._

That was true, ever since Lucy had moved in they'd found themselves doing this almost every evening- having a cup of tea together, sharing a bottle of wine, watching a TV show, chatting about their days, talking about any news or plans they had. Of course there had been plenty of arguments over the years, but their conversations were mostly full of laughs and flirtation, and the to and fro of witty remark and retort. No matter what sort of day either had had, they knew their nightly chat on the sofa would cheer them up. The cosy routine that had practically become a ritual. Neither had ever admitted it to the other but for both Lee and Lucy this ritual had become their favourite part of the day.

" _I like it though, when we just watch TV together or sit and chat"._

 _"Me too. I love...", Lee paused, "just sitting and chatting with you"._

 _"Good"_ , Lucy said quietly.

" _I wonder how that little boy Jacob is"._

 _"I spoke to his the mum at the hospital. He's okay. They're keeping him on oxygen for a few more hours just in case, but luckily since he wasn't that close to the fire and was sitting on the floor so he was low down, he didn't inhale much smoke. He's only sprained his ankle apparently, but it was too painful to walk without help. Both parents thought he was with the other at the point the fire alarm went off. Anyway, he'll be fine, thanks to you. His mum says she wants to come around and thank you properly. I gave her the landline number, I hope you don't mind. She says the press want to talk to you as well, they want to do a piece on the new local hero"._

 _"Oh God, really? I don't want any fuss, I'm not a hero"._

 _"You are, you were really brave tonight. Stupid maybe, but brave nonetheless, I'm proud of you"._

 _"Thanks. Lucy...I...can I...l'd like..."_ , Lee hesitated.

" _What?"_

 _"Nothing"._

Lucy didn't want to leave it there, she felt like Lee was trying to say something important.

" _You were going to say something"._

 _"It's just...I don't think I'm brave, I wish I was, then I wouldn't be just sitting here babbling on about nothing. I'd be telling you how beautiful you look tonight, how special it felt when you held my hand earlier, and how much I want to kiss you right now. But I can't because I'm too scared of how you might react"._

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. It was as though Lee knew exactly what she wanted to hear.

" _Why are you scared? What do you think I'm going to do?"_

 _"I don't know, slap me, tell me to move out"._

 _"Would it help if I told you that I was sitting here wishing I had the confidence to kiss you instead of waiting for you to make the first move?"._

Lucy inched closer to Lee, and they met each other's gaze. Lee found himself lost in Lucy's eyes then, swimming in their deep green. He could see the desire and anticipation in them, mirroring his own. All of his senses were alive now, he could feel Lucy's legs touching his, and it made his skin prickle and flush. He could smell the sweetness of her perfume, the fruity coconut scent of her hair.

He found her hand, and slowly, lightly brushed it with his fingertips. When she responded, he let their fingers entwine.

" _Erm, that would help yes"_ , Lee's voice was breaking now as his throat seemed to dry up.

" _Good_ ".

They were both breathing louder and faster now.

" _Lucy...I..."._

Lee couldn't find any words. He couldn't think straight, the thought that they might be about to kiss making him dizzy with nerves and excitement. He could hear his own heartbeat now, as it thumped hard and fast beneath his chest.

" _Lee?"_

 _"Yes?"_

Time seemed to stand still for a second.

" _Stop talking"._

Lucy closed the gap between them at last, cupping Lee's face in her hands and covering his lips with her own, parting them. She heard him breathe deeply, than sigh almost desperately as he responded, his hands finding their way into her hair. For some reason she had thought this might feel awkward, they'd been just friends for so long after all. But it didn't, far from it. It was perfect. After what might have been seconds, or minutes, they parted.

" _Wow_ ", was all Lucy could say. Every part of her skin was tingling.

" _Good wow I hope"._

 _"Good wow, that was...worth the wait_ ".

Lee was blushing and smiling shyly. He looked adorable.

" _Yeah it was. So...does that mean you want to do this again?"_

 _"Kiss you? Of course it does..."_

Lucy leant in, inching close to Lee until their lips we almost touching.

" _I meant go out with me again but I'm not going to..."_

Before Lee and the chance to finish his sentence Lucy's mouth was on his again, and this time they deepened the kiss almost immediately, Lee's hands sliding through Lucy's hair as hers raked up and down his back.

They continued for some time, hands all over each other as the passion built. He moved his lips away from her mouth, placing soft, sensual kisses along her jawline and over her neck. She moaned louder than she intended as he found a sensitive spot below her ear and started to tease it with his lips, then slipped his hands under her top and began to stroke the soft, sensitive and slightly ticklish skin at the sides of her waist.

This felt good, so so good, and a big part of Lucy wanted to take Lee to her bedroom and make love to him, right now. In fact, it didn't even have to be the bed, right here on the sofa would have sufficed. Despite this though, despite how much she wanted Lee, she had started to feel a bit overwhelmed and a small voice in her head was telling her they should stop.

" _Lee...wait...stop"._

He did, immediately.

" _Are you okay, Luce?"_

Lee was slightly confused. She seemed to be enjoying this, very much if her sighs and whimpers of pleasure were anything to go by.

He searched her eyes, trying to read her expression.

" _Yes, it's just...I think we should stop before we get too carried away"._

 _"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...you know"._

Lee couldn't hide his disappointment, then concern that he had gone too far.

" _Don't apologise, you don't need to. And, don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I wasn't enjoying that, believe me I was, but we said we'd take things slowly. This is a big deal...we probably shouldn't rush anything"._

Lucy knew things would never be the same once they crossed that line, and it had been a long while since she'd been intimate with anyone. Things had ended so badly with Guy, and she needed to know exactly where she stood with Lee before she took the next step.

Lee nodded. Lucy was right, and the last thing he wanted was to spoil things with her. If he was honest he was more than nervous about taking things further with her anyway. It'd been a long time since he'd last done this. Longer than it had been for her. He didn't want their first time to be like it had in his dream, over in a matter of seconds because his body betrayed him in the excitement and rush of the moment. He had felt himself getting hard just then and they were only kissing. He wondered if he would he ever be able to get used to being this close to Lucy, it was such an incredible, dizzying, almost trippy feeling.

" _You're right, we should slow down. Let's take it down a gear. I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable or make you feel like I was putting pressure on you. I'll take your lead with this"._

 _"Thanks, and you weren't making me feel uncomfortable by the way. You were making feel good, I just got a bit overwhelmed_ ", Lucy whispered, so relieved he was understanding.

She smiled and kissed him briefly, almost chastely, then rested her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him as he held her tightly.

...

 **A little later...**

Lucy sighed contentedly, snuggling into Lee as he absentmindedly played with her hair, letting his fingers gently comb through it.

" _So are you looking forward to our dinner out on Friday? I hope it's a bit more successful than tonight's date_ ", Lee asked.

They had arranged to go out for dinner at the fancy Mediterranean restaurant around the corner, Lucy insisting it would be her treat this time.

" _Of course I am, I can't wait. Anyway, I don't know what you mean. I'd say fires aside tonight turned out pretty well in the end wouldn't you?_ ", she whispered.

" _Yeah I would_ ", Lee agreed. 'Pretty well' was certainly an understatement.

Lucy finally gave in to a yawn she'd been trying to surpress. It had been a long day, and she was tired. Plus, she was really relaxed and cosy in Lee's arms, and his chest made a very comfy pillow.

" _I think I'd better go to bed, I can't stay awake"._

 _"Oh, okay. See you in the morning?"_

 _"Of course. I've got to be at work by 9.00 but we can have breakfast together if you're up early enough"._

 _"I'll be up. Goodnight Luce",_ he whispered as she reluctantly prized herself away from him.

"Goodnight Lee", Lucy replied.

She gave him an all to brief kiss on the lips before getting up from the sofa and heading towards her bedroom, grinning from ear to ear.

Lee couldn't stop smiling either. To say he was happy with the direction him and Lucy's relationship was heading would be an understatement. He felt more optimistic now about the future than he had for a long time, maybe ever.

Lucy found herself unable to get to sleep for a long time. She was still buzzing from the events of the evening. The fear and adrenaline she had experienced when they realised the cinema was on fire and when Lee ran back into the building. But even more so the rush of blood and hormones she had experienced when she and Lee kissed properly for the first time, and the second time and...She felt excited about the prospect of what she hoped could happen between them and she hadn't felt that way about anyone for a long time...

 **Next chapter: dinner**


	6. Chapter 6

**Dinner**

Lee and Lucy were both studying the menu of 'Banchetto', the Mediterranean restaurant they had chosen for their latest date.

" _What are you thinking of having Luce?"_

 _"I think I'm going to have the seafood linguine, how about you?"_

 _"I'm going for the lamb with dauphinoise potatoes, mixed vegetables and rosemary red wine jus...I don't get why they have to call it a 'jus', it's so pretentious. It's gravy, so why can't they just call it gravy? Call a spade a spade, that's what I say"._

 _"Lee?!"_

 _What?_

 _"I hope you're going to behave yourself tonight. Promise you won't say that to the waiter, or anything rude for that matter"._

 _"Don't worry, I won't. I'll be on my best behaviour"._

 _"Your wine Madam, and yours Sir"._

The waiter placed Lee and Lucy's glasses of wine on the table.

" _Thank you"._

 _"Are you going to have a starter Luce?"_

 _"No, I might have a desert if I can manage one"._

 _"Oh right I won't either then. The starters are a bit pricey anyway"._

 _"I'm paying remember, if you want a starter have one"._

 _"No, you'll have to wait longer for your food then, I'm not that bothered honestly"._

 _"Are you ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?_ ", the waiter arrived back at the table.

" _I think we're ready?_ ", Lucy replied, and Lee nodded.

...

" _How's your seafood Luce?"_

 _"Really nice, do you want to try some?"_

 _"No thanks, I'm not a seafood fan. You can try my lamb if you want. It's lovely"._

 _"Can I?"_

 _"Of course"._

Lee put some lamb and potato on his fork and held it out for Lucy to eat the food off it.

" _Mmm, that's delicious"._

 _"How was your day anyway Luce, how was work?"._

 _"Busy. I had to meet a whole string of clients and I had to look at a massive pile of CVs. The meetings went well though. I think I might have secured a pretty big contract, I just need to finalise a few things but it's looking good"._

 _"That's great"._

 _"How about you, what have you been up to today?"_

 _"I took the ice cream van out this morning, but I didn't get much business once the rain started. Actually, I was going to talk to you about this. I've decided I need to think about giving up the ice cream and getting some other work, it's just not regular enough, and too weather dependent"._

Lee, as part of his new less selfish attitude, had realised he needed to stop scrounging off Lucy when things weren't going as well with the ice cream van. It just didn't feel right anymore, especially if he was going to have any chance of having a relationship with her. He needed her to be able to see him as viable boyfriend, maybe even husband material.

" _Really? You love your van though"._

 _"I know. Well, maybe I could find other work I could do as well, maybe combine the two. Do you think you might be able to help me find something, you're a recruitment expert after all?"._

 _"Of course I can"._

 _"I was thinking of maybe delivering or something, I've already got the transport after all"._

 _"That's a good idea. I'll have a look online with you at the weekend"._

 _"Thanks Luce"._

 _"What's brought this on anyway?"._

 _"Erm...I suppose it's just part of my realising I need to grow up. Oh, I meant to say, Tim came round this afternoon, he'd finished work early"._

 _"Oh right, what did he want?"_

" _He wanted to see how I was, after the fire the other night. He started asking questions though"._

 _"About what?"_

 _"About us. He asked what I was doing at the cinema with you"._

 _"What did you tell him?"._

 _"That we went there to watch a film"._

 _"I think he could have worked that bit out himself. I'm assuming it was the why we were there together part that he was more interested in"._

 _"Yeah it was"._

 _"What did you say?"_

 _"I just pointed out to him that we've been sharing a flat for several years, and that we watch films on TV together all the time, so what was the difference"._

 _"And what did he say?"_

" _He didn't get the chance, I changed the subject. The thing is though, he realised something is going on. Tim knows me too well, I swear he can read my mind sometimes, and he asked me to go for a drink with him tonight so I had to tell him I was going out"._

 _"You didn't have to tell him you were going out with me though"._

 _"I know, but he guessed, he asked me outright and I just couldn't lie"._

 _"So he knows we're on a date?"._

 _"Sort of...well yes, but I was quite vague about it"._

 _"How did he react?"_

 _"Better than I expected actually, well...he didn't punch me at least. He still did the whole over-protective older brother thing, I got the Spanish Inquisition over my intentions towards you, you know the sort of thing"._

 _"Oh God, I'm sorry"._

" _It's not your fault, he was just being...Tim. The good news is that I came away with my genitals intact, so I think I passed his test. I managed to convince him that I had no intention of messing you around or hurting you. I'm not saying he was thrilled exactly, but he said he accepted that you were old enough to make your own decisions about who you go out with, and that even if that person was me he wouldn't interfere"._

Of course Lee didn't tell Lucy that he had ended up confessing his love for her to Tim. That would mean him having to tell her how he felt, and he just wasn't confident enough that she felt the same to do that yet.

Lucy was so happy and relieved to hear this. After all, the thought of Tim's reaction was one of the things that had stopped her acting on her feelings for Lee sooner.

" _Really? That's good, and he'll get used to the idea. I've been so worried about how Tim might react. And I'm very glad to hear that your...all of your...parts are still intact"._

Lucy felt he cheeks flush then, as she tried to get the thought of Lee's...parts out of her head. She was sure he must have noticed her blushing.

" _So...how were things between you when he left?_ ", Lucy asked.

" _Okay I think. He's still talking to me, we're going for a drink tomorrow"._

 _"Great"._

Lucy wondered if Tim's change of attitude towards the idea of her and Lee being together was due to Lee's brush with mortality recently. Seeing his best friend in a coma had made Tim realise how important Lee was to him, and to Lucy.

...

 **Back home...**

" _Are you alright Luce?_ ", Lee asked as he noticed Lucy rubbing her stomach.

" _Yeah, I think I've just eaten too much, I shouldn't have had that Tiramisu, or the Liquor coffee to follow"._

 _"I did offer to help you out with the Tiramisu._

 _"You had your own pudding! Anyway, it's too late now, I'll just have to eat nothing but salad tomorrow to make up for it. I think I might go and make a peppermint tea though, settle my stomach. Do you want a drink?"._

 _"Yes please, just a normal tea though, I can't stand all your herbal ones"._

Lucy rolled her eyes, Lee had made in perfectly clear in the past of what he thought of herbal teas. 'Poncy' was how he described them.

After Lucy had been in the kitchen for ten minutes, Lee wondered why she had been so long, and went to investigate. He found her standing at the sink, washing up pans.

" _What are you doing that for now? I thought you wanted to watch that new detective drama"._

 _"I do, I just saw these dirty saucepans and thought I'd better wash them up otherwise they'll stil be here tomorrow. Are these yours from lunchtime? What were you making? You don't need saucepans to make a Pot Noodle!"._

 _"I was experimenting. I've decided I should learn to cook so that I can make dinner for us sometimes for a change. I was going to clear up, then Tim arrived and I forgot, sorry. I would have sorted them tomorrow"._

Lee didn't want Lucy to see him as lazy and undomesticated anymore. In the past he would just have left his mess for Lucy to clean up, but he had genuinely intended to clean up after himself today.

" _Never mind, it's done now. Right, tea. I'll bring it through in a minute"._

 _"No, you go and sit down. I'll make it"._

Making Lucy a cup of tea was the least he could do.

" _Oh, thanks. Don't put milk in mine"._

 _"Lucy, I know I don't have the most sophisticated tastebuds, but I do know you don't put milk in peppermint tea"._

 _"Sorry, I was just..making sure. The herbal teas are on the shelf below the others"._

 _"I know. Go and sit down. I've got this"._

Lucy obeyed at last, disappearing back into the living room.

...

 **Half an hour later...**

" _Is the peppermint tea helping?"_

 _"Not really yet. My tummy's still a bit churny. Sorry, that's too much information isn't it?"_

 _"No. I live with you Lucy, we've shared far more information about our bodily functions with each other before"._

 _"Well...usually yours"._

 _"Fair point. Anyway, if I may change the subject?"._

 _"Please do!"_

 _"Lucy...you don't have to answer this, but I feel like I have to ask. The other night, when we first agreed to go on date, you said you have these new feelings for me and you wanted to explore them..."._

 _"Yes"._

" _Anyway, obviously we've been on a few dates now and we've kissed and almost gone further than that and I suppose what I'm trying to say is...I'm hoping you think we have something here, and that you definitely want to be more than just friends"._

Lee, despite everything that had happened over the last few days, was still found it hard to believe that Lucy felt that way about him.

" _I do think that we have something, and yes I do want to be more than just friends. I think we already are that don't you?"_

Lee couldn't stop himself from grinning. Before his accident he could only have dreamed of Lucy saying those words.

" _Does this mean we're officially going out together? Can I call you my girlfriend?"._

 _"It would be an honour"._

Lucy leant in and kissed Lee then, taking his breath away. He responded, still smiling at first, into the kiss, against her mouth as he thought about what had just been said. Lucy was his girlfriend, more than that, she was 'honoured' to be his girlfriend.

Lee moaned as Lucy grabbed his shirt with one hand, then threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head with the other, tugging slightly, trying to pull him as close to her as physically possible. Her held her tightly as they deepened the kiss, their lips moving together almost urgently now, their tongues meeting and dancing together, their breaths more and more desperate...

Lucy suddenly broke the kiss, leaving Lee confused and then concerned. She looked like there was something wrong.

" _Are you okay? Did I do something you didn't like?"_

 _"No, I got a sudden pain on my stomach, like a cramp. I feel like I might be sick"._

 _"Not because of the kiss?"_

 _"Of course not, I don't feel very well. Sorry, I've..."_

Lucy got up then and ran towards the bathroom. Concerned, Lee followed her, hovering outside the door.

" _Are you okay? You're not are you? Can I come in?"_

It sounded like Lucy was vomiting.

" _I don't want you to see me like this",_ was Lucy's muffled reply.

" _I'm worried about you, and I've seen you being sick before"._

 _"I'll be okay in a minute"._

After several minutes, Lucy came out of the bathroom, still clutching her stomach. She looked really grey.

" _I think I'd better go to bed. I don't feel well at all. I feel like I'm burning up now too"._

 _"Do you think it's what you've eaten? You might have food poisoning. Shall I call I doctor?"._

 _"No. I probably just need to get whatever it is out of my system. Or it could be a bug. Actually, hold that thought..."_

Lucy sprinted back into the bathroom and started being sick again. Lee grabbed his phone and Googled food poisoning. The symptoms seemed to fit so far, stomach pains, vomiting, fever. The NHS website did say that in most cases, for someone of Lucy's age with no other medical conditions, contacting your GP was not normally necessary. He just needed to make sure Lucy's symptoms weren't so severe that she couldn't keep water down, or that they didn't go on for too long.

After a few minutes he heard Lucy leave the bathroom and go into her bedroom. He poured her a large jug of water and brought that with a glass to her bedroom.

" _Knock, knock. I've brought you some water"._

 _"Come in. Thanks Lee. I'll try and drink it"._

She was half lying, half sitting on her bed now.

" _Oh Luce, you look really ill. Are you as clammy as you look?"_

 _"Thanks for the compliment, but yes I am. Clearly I look as shit as I feel"._

 _"Luce, you might look ill, but you're still beautiful...anyway, I've been on the NHS website and I don't think you need a doctor at the moment, unless you're pregnant?"_

 _"Of course I'm not pregnant. Not unless there's a new Messiah in there. You know when I told you you can't get pregnant through sharing bath water, well maybe I should have explained that you can't get pregnant through kissing and touching either, not with clothes on"._

Lee rolled his eyes.

" _I know that. I'm pleased to see you can still be sarcastic even when you're ill. Anyway, you need to drink plenty of water, keep your levels of hydration up. Do you want me to stay with you?"_

 _"No, I'll be fine. It's probably better if you leave me to it in case I've got a bug. I wouldn't want you to catch it"._

 _"Okay, but I'll check on you later, and I'll keep my phone on, so ring me if you need anything or feel worse. Even if it's the middle of the night"._

 _"I will, thanks"._

Lucy nodded and smiled weakly as she spoke. Lee was being so sweet, wanting to look after her.

 **Next chapter: hospital**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hospital**

In the early hours of the next morning, Lee was woken up abruptly when his phone rang. It was Lucy. He panicked.

" _Luce? Are you worse?"_

 _"I think I need a doctor. I can't keep any water down and I've got a thundering headache. I feel awful"._

Lee ran to Lucy's room and sat on the bed next to her. She was shivering and holding her stomach, clearly in pain. He placed the palm of his hand on her forehead, and it was burning hot and damp with perspiration.

" _Oh Luce, have you managed to keep any water down at all?"._

 _"No, I just keep being sick...and you know, the other end. I'm aching everywhere now and I think I've got a high temperature. My stomach pains are worse"._

 _"Right. I'm going to call the out of hours doctor, see what they say"_

Lee phoned the number and the they suggested that he brought Lucy to the walk in centre at the hospital. If she wasn't keeping any fluids down she was in danger of becoming dehydrated.

" _I think my girlfriend might have food poisoning, and I'm worried because she can't keep water down...yep, severe vomiting and diarrhoea...the vomiting is happening more than the other apparently...it started about seven hours now...seafood...no...in a restaurant. No she's not allergic, she eats seafood all the time...Luce, I know it's a personal question but now they're asking when you last passed urine"._

 _"I don't know, last night some time, quite a long time ago now"._

Lee passed this on to the person on the phone.

" _Yes, she's got a headache and I'd say she has a fever, yes she said the pain is quite severe...okay...yes...thanks, I'll do that"._

Lee ended the call.

" _Right, they think you are probably becoming dehydrated and might need to be given fluids at the hospital. I'll be dressed quickly and drive you there"._

 _"Oh, I hate hospitals"._

 _"We all do, but the man strongly advised I take you. They'll make you better, I wish I could do that but I'm neither qualified nor equipped"._

 _"Okay, I suppose I don't have any choice. Let me just grab some clothes and some stuff in a bag in case they end up keeping me in"._

 _"Are you sure you're okay to do that? I can help"._

 _"Yep I can manage, you go and get dressed, and I'll meet you back in the living room"._

A few minutes later Lucy was waiting on the sofa, she was holding her head with one hand, her stomach with the other.

" _Right, are you set? Car keys...I've brought a couple of makeshift sick bowls and bags for the car in case you need them. Come on, let's go"._

 _"Can you help me to the car? When I got up a minute ago the room was spinning a bit"._

 _"Of course, and we'll walk as slowly as you want"._

...

Several hours later...

Lee was sitting in a hospital waiting room, Lucy had been admitted to a ward and was undergoing tests. A nurse approached him.

" _You can go and see your girlfriend now, the doctors have finished with her for the time being"._

 _"Great, thanks. Is she okay?"_

Lee should have been excited to hear someone refer to Lucy as his girlfriend for the first time, but he was too preoccupied to enjoy he moment.

" _Go and see for yourself"._

...

Lucy smiled when she saw Lee approach her hospital bed. She was sitting up and looked surprisingly bright, though she had a drip going in to her arm.

" _How are you feeling? You look a bit better"._

 _"I feel a bit better. They've given me paracetamol to bring my temperature down and something to stop the stomach cramps and the vomiting and diarrhoea, and as you can see they're giving me intravenous fluids. They've done various tests, I won't go in to details"._

Lee nodded, not intending to pry if Lucy wasn't comfortable with telling him everything. He was guessing samples were involved, and he'd rather not think about that anyway.

" _So, what happens now?"_

 _"I'm just waiting for the results to come back for the doctors to confirm whether it's food poisoning I've got or something else"._

 _"How long do you reckon they'll keep you in for?"_

 _"I don't know, I suppose it depends what the results show. Not long, I hope. I'm sorry I was sick in your car by the way"._

 _"Oh, don't worry about it, on the way home I'll take it to those Valet guys at garage around the corner"._

 _"You can go home if you want by the way, I don't expect you to stay here the whole time"._

 _"I want to stay with you, unless you'd rather I went home"._

 _"Of course not, I want you to stay. I don't know you coped for so long in here after your accident, I hate it already"._

" _I was in a coma most of the time remember. I was busy dreaming about you"._

 _"Oh yeah. It must be weird for you being the visitor for a change. Usually it's you in the hospital bed and me visiting"._

 _"I know, and it is a bit"._

 _"The nurses all know you here by the way, they keep asking after you. It seems you charmed them all during your stay. Considering you were unconscious most of the time I'd say that was a pretty impressive achievement"._

 _"Yeah well, what can I say?"_

Lee couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make him sound too smug, so he changed the subject.

" _I hope you don't mind but I phoned your parents and Tim, they're on their way here"._

 _"No, I don't mind. I was about to phone them myself, they wouldn't have been happy if they'd found out I'd been in hospital and I hadn't told them"._

 _"Oh, I also took the liberty of phoning Sarah from your office, told her you wouldn't be in today. I though you might not get the chance. She says she hopes you get better soon"._

 _"Thanks for that, I'd completely not even thought about phoning work, they'd have been wondering where I was"._

A doctor came into the ward then, and approached Lucy's bed.

" _Miss Adams isn't it?"_

 _"Yes"._

 _"I have the results back from your sample, and can confirm that you have a type of food poisoning called Staphylococcus Aureus. It is usually caused by unhygienic food preparation and or storage. Based on what you've told us, in your case the source was most probably the Tiramisu desert you ate. It may have been stored at room temperature for too long, allowing the bacteria to thrive in the cream. Creamy deserts are one of the worst culprits. We've ruled out anything you've eaten at home as there has been another food poisoning case reported since you've been admitted. That person also ate at Banchettos restaurant yesterday"._

 _"That Tiramasu was really nice as well. I knew I shouldn't have eaten it, that'll teach me to have eyes bigger than my belly. So it wasn't the seafood? I just assumed"._

 _"That's is unlikely given the type of poisoning have"._

 _"What will happen, with the restaurant? What if more people get ill from eating there today?"_

" _I'm required by law to report cases of food poisoning to the authorities, so I've contacted the health protection agency who have already begun investigating the restaurant. It will be closed today until the source is found, and then who knows. The good news is that the symptoms of this type of food poisoning usually only last around 48 hours, and since you're otherwise fit and healthy, once we're happy you're getting enough fluids you can go home"._

 _"When do you think that will be?"._

 _"Hopefully this evening, though I can't make promises. We'll keep you on the drip for a few more hours and when you do go home I'll prescribe you some rehydration medication. It's just powder that you dissolve in water and take as a drink. I'll check on you this afternoon, make sure there is still no sign of any complications, and I'll make a decision then"._

 _"Okay, thanks doctor"._

The doctor left Lucy's bedside and walked on to the next patient.

" _That's good news then, you might be home by tonight"._

 _"Yes, though I wasn't happy when he said he couldn't make any promises"._

 _"They just want to make sure you're well enough to go home, and so do I"._

 _"I know, I'm just bored"._

 _"Oh thanks, am I not interesting enough for you?"_

 _"I didn't mean that, I just don't like having to sit in bed for hours on end. I'm used to being busy. Not that I'd be capable of being busy at the moment. This food poisoning's taken it out of me, I feel pathetically weak"._

 _"Understandbly weak. Do you want me to get you a magazine or something?"_

 _"No, your company will do. I'm just hoping the nurses won't kick you out. It's not actually visiting time until 2pm"._

 _"I'm okay, I spoke to the ward sister when I came in, she gave me special permission. It turns out she's just transferred from the ward I was recently so she remembers me. She was so pleased to see how well I was doing"._

" _Of course, she recognised me too. You won't remember her, seeing as she changed wards before you woke up from your coma. She's nice"._

Lucy yawned as she spoke, her lack of sleep and the draining effects of the illness catching up with her.

" _You sound tired Luce, why don't you try and get some sleep"._

 _"I might just do that, if you don't mind"._

 _"Of course I don't mind, why don't you lie down and close your eyes"._

 _..._

Half an hour later, Lucy was fast asleep, as was Lee, his head slumped in her lap as he still held her hand. Lee hadn't slept much last night either, he'd been too worried about Lucy.

Geoffrey, Wendy, Tim and Daisy found Lucy's ward, and went to the reception desk.

" _Hello, we've come to see Lucy Adams, she was admitted this morning"._

 _"Ah yes, go to the right and around the corner and you'll see her ahead of you. You might have to go in a few at a time, matron doesn't like that many people crowding round a bed. Her boyfriend's already with her"._

 _"Boyfriend?! She doesn't have one as far as we know",_ Wendy exclaimed, confused.

" _Oh right, maybe I've put two and two together there, they just seemed...anyway nevermind_ ", the nurse hoped she hadn't put her foot in it.

" _She's talking about Lee, obviously_ ", Daisy explained, though the others had already worked that out.

The three continued into the ward to find the two asleep. Geoffrey tapped Lee on the shoulder, not impressed with the sight in front of him. Lee woke up with a jolt, and sat up quickly, taking a few seconds to realise where he was.

" _What exactly are you playing at, with your head in my daughter's lap, holding her hand?!",_ Geoffrey questioned Lee.

" _Nothing I was just, being...a friend, like she was when I was in hospital"._

 _"Hmm, well, you looked far too cosy for my liking"._

 _"Geoffrey, shut up, you'll wake Lucy_ ", Wendy scolded.

" _It's too late, I'm awake_ ", Lucy piped up, making everyone turn to look at her as she opened her eyes and sat up.

" _Darling, how are you, you poor thing"._

 _"Not too bad now, I feel drained and my tummy's sore, but I feel a lot better than this morning"._

 _"Oh good, are they going to keep you in over night?"_

 _"Hopefully not, I'd rather be home. The doctor said I should be able to go home later today"._

 _"I think you should come home with me and your dad, so we can look after you. You shouldn't be on your own"._

 _"Thanks, but that won't be necessary, I won't be on my own will I"._

 _"No she won't, I'm perfectly capable of looking after her"_ , Lee added, feeling a bit offended.

" _You can barely look after yourself!"_ , Geoffrey said, unable to stop himself throwing an insult at Lee.

" _Dad, that's completely uncalled for! Lee has been the perfect nurse, he looked after me last night and brought me to the hospital this morning. You should be thanking him not insulting him",_ Lucy couldn't hide her annoyance.

" _Sorry about your father Lucy, you know what he's like. Sorry, Lee, and thank you for helping Lucy and getting her to hospital. When I said you should come home with us Lucy I was just being a mum. When you're ill I can't help but see you as my little girl again, I didn't mean to offend anyone_ ", Wendy said, attempting to calm the situation.

Just then the ward sister approached them,

" _I'm sorry folks but there's too many people around this bed, I allow a maximum of four visitors at a time"._

 _"Maybe I should wait outside",_ Daisy said.

" _Luce, if you don't mind me going I could go and get my car cleaned and come back later, that way the others can stay"._

 _"Okay, see you later, and apologise to the Valet guys for me"._

 _"I'm sure they've seen worse, don't worry. I'll be back in a bit, see you all later"._

Lee had to stop himself from leaning in to kiss Lucy goodbye, patting her hand instead, risking Geoffrey's disapproval even with this gesture.

Once Lee was out of earshot, Lucy's dad decided to question her about a couple of things.

" _So, who were you at the restaurant with last night, did they eat the same thing?"._

 _"Just...a friend, and no he didn't eat the same food as me"._

 _"He? Which friend are you talking about? Was it Lee?"_

 _"It was as it happens, not that it's any of your business"._

 _"What were you doing in a restaurant with Lee?"_

 _"Eating a meal"._

 _"Is something going on between you? Were you on a date?"_

 _"Dad! What's with the twenty questions? It's nothing to do with you who I have meals with"._

 _"The two of you looked very cosy together when we walked in here. He had his head in your lap and was holding your hand"._

 _"I know, so what?"_

 _"I hope he wasn't taking advantage"._

 _"You really are unbelievable sometimes, mum...tell him!"._

 _"She's right Geoffrey, this really isn't fair. Lucy's not well for heaven's sake. If you're going to carry on like this you can go and wait in the corridor"._

" _Sorry, I'm just looking out for our daughter"._

 _"Well, in that case stop being rude to Lee all the time, and stop giving me the third degree"_ , Lucy interrupted, sounding really cross now.

Geoffrey reluctantly abandoned the subject, still suspicious about the nature of Lucy and Lee's relationship. He'd ask more questions once Lucy was out of hospital and feeling better.

Tim spoke then, feeling sorry for his sister and keen to move the conversation away from Lee,

" _So Lucy, are you going to sue the restaurant?"_

 _"I don't know, I'm not sure I'd want the hassle"._

 _"I think you should, where there's blame there's a claim remember"._

 _"I suppose, I'll think about it. I'm going to have to have a few days off work and probably get a temp in and since I'm self employed I don't get sick pay so maybe you're right"._

 _"I've got a friend who's an injury lawyer, I'll make some enquiries for you"..._

...

An hour and a half later, Lee returned, and was allowed back into the ward as Geoffrey and Tim had gone to get coffees and snacks.

" _Hi, where are your dad and Tim?"_

 _"Just gone to get refreshments. How's the car?"_

 _"As good as new, they did a great job. Don't worry, I gave them a generous tip"._

 _"Phew, I thought your upholstery would never been the same again"._

 _"To be honest it's cleaner now than it was before you were sick on it, I, should have cleaned it ages ago, so in a way you've done me a favour"._

 _"It's good to know some good has come out of all of this then_ ", Lucy replied, smiling and rolling her eyes.

...

 **Back home that evening...**

Lee brought Lucy a glass of her rehydration drink and a slice of dry toast, which the doctor had suggested she try and eat.

" _How are you feeling? Do you reckon you can try and eat this?"_

 _"I'll give it a go. I'm just so glad to be home to be honest and that I didn't have to stay in overnight. We've both spent far too much time in that hospital recently"._

 _"Tell me about it. I've got holes all over my arms from all the needles that have been stuck in me over the last few weeks. I'm surprised I've got any blood left. Enough about me though, are you sure you're okay?"_

 _"Yeah, I'm just tired"._

 _"You know you had me really worried there for a while"_

 _"It was only a bit of food poisoning"._

 _"I know, but it was horrible to see you ill and..."_

Lucy knew what he meant, she remembered how scared she had been when Lee was knocked down by the car, it was so distressing to see someone you love suffering. Love...I love Lee. She knew it then, at that moment. Perhaps she had known for a while but this was the first time she had really admitted it to herself.

" _Yeah I know",_ she whispered.

Lee leaned across and kissed Lucy gently and she sighed softly against his mouth. Drawing away he brought her onto his lap, putting his arms around her protectively.

" _Talking of hospitals, I know by the way",_ Lee said suddenly.

" _Know what?"_

 _"That when I was in a coma you were there by my bedside the whole time, that you wouldn't go home"._

 _"Yeah, well I...I didn't want to leave in case you woke up and didn't know where you were. Did you hear me then, or sense I was there?"_

 _"Some of the time, yes. And Tim confirmed it...thanks"._

 _"What for?"_

 _"For being there"._

 _"That's okay. Same"._

Lucy snuggled into Lee, and she heard him sigh contentedly.

" _I could get used to this",_ she whispered.

" _Me too_ ", he said quietly.

She couldn't help but let out a yawn, and Lee stroked her hair, kissing her head as she fell asleep against him...

 **Next chapter: Zoo and picnic**


	8. Chapter 8

**Zoo Part 1**

On a water bus on the Regents Canal...

" _We chose a lovely day for this, didn't we?"_

 _"I know, I can't believe how warm and sunny it's turned out"._

 _"How about when we've been to the zoo we get some lunch and walk up Primrose Hill, eat it there, like a picnic?"_

 _"Sounds nice. I've never been to Primrose Hill you know"_

 _"If you climb to the top there's amazing views across London. How come you've never been there, you've lived in London for years?"._

 _"I know but London's a big city, there's lots of it I haven't seen. I've never done this before either, been on a boat on this canal, it's relaxing isn't it?"_

 _"Yeah it is"._

The boat cruise started at Camden Lock and their surroundings had soon changed from bustling crowds to peaceful greenery lined water, edged with grand houses and crossed by pretty bridges. Despite being in central London, there seemed to be more ducks and swans than people here. They alighted at the ferry stop next to London Zoo and headed to the entrance.

" _Look at the queue, we won't get in for hours at this rate, it's half way down the street"._

 _"Don't worry, I booked advanced tickets online, our queue is over there"._

 _"There isn't another queue"._

 _"Exactly, we get to go straight in"._

 _"Well done Luce, I'm glad you're good at forward planning, what would I do without you?"_

 _"Considering some of the things you've done since I've been in your life, quite frankly I dread to think"._

...

They went to look at the penguins first, as the penguin beach exhibit was quite close to the zoo's entrance. There were a lot of people lining the fences and glass that surrounded the enclosure, but they managed to find a spot next to a fence.

" _I love the penguins, they're my favourite"_ , said Lucy, almost running towards them.

" _Mine too, I could watch them all day, so comical"._

 _"Look Lee, that one's coming over to us"._

The small penguin waddled towards them, then started to tap its feet and flap its flippers.

" _Aww, it's so cute, I want a pet one. If I just reached over now, I bet no one would even notice if I smuggled this one into my handbag, it's only little"._

 _"Please tell me you're joking, you know this isn't a pet shop right?"._

Lucy was amused by the slight look of alarm on Lee's face.

" _Of course I'm joking. I do know that stealing the livestock is frowned upon in zoos"._

 _"I think you'll find the word is illegal. I know they're cute but I don't think you'd want one in the flat somehow anyway. They stink"_ , Lee added.

" _Well, I've already got you at home, I probably wouldn't notice the difference"._

 _"Ouch. I'll get you back for that later"._

 _"And how are you going to do that?"._

 _"I don't know, I'll think of something. Why, are you worried now?"._

 _"I'm more worrried about the fact you thought I might actually be serious about stealing a penguin. You are gullible at times"._

 _"I didn't really think you were going to do it. Now I'm concerned that you think that I thought you were being serious. Now who's gullible?"._

 _"Maybe we should forget it and just watch the penguins. I think that family next to us can hear our conversation. We're getting funny looks now"._

Lucy had become aware of the eyes that seemed to be on them now, and had turned to see a teenage boy sniggering with his sister. She didn't want them to be one of those couples who had 'lovers tiffs' in public. Not that this was what this was. This was just a normal conversation for her and Lee.

" _What's that noise?_ ", Lee suddenly exclaimed as they walked away from the penguin exhibit.

Lucy had heard it too. A sort of low croaking mixed with laboured breathing.

" _It sounds like..."_

 _"I know what it sounds like, but what's making it?"_

 _"Judging by how many parents are quickly moving their children away from that enclosure, I'm guessing over there"._

They walked towards the sound to be confronted with two giant Tortoises vigorously mating, making disconcertingly loud grunting and heavy breathing noises. Then there was the face of the male, strained neck and open mouthed. It was both fascinating and disturbing at the same time.

" _Wow, he's really getting into that isn't he?_ ", said Lee.

" _Yep, he's going for it. Do you think we could move away now? I feel like a voyeur right now and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it",_ Lucy replied.

" _Yeah, maybe we should leave them to it"._

They briskly walked away, until the sound faded.

" _Did you hear those noises though?",_ Lee asked rhetorically.

" _I know, I just need to unhear them now_ ", Lucy said, still sounding a bit disturbed.

" _Here we go, the lemurs are that way, do you want to go there next?"_

 _"Yep, I really like the lemurs exhibit. You actually walk around in their enclosure so you get really close to them. And they're very sweet, especially the babies"._

 _"Come on then, as long as you can resist the temptation to sneak one into your handbag"._

Lucy rolled her eyes and took hold of Lee's hand again, pulling him towards their next destination.

...

After seeing the Lemurs, Reptile House, Otters, Giraffes, Hippos and Tigers, Lee and Lucy went to the Meerkat exhibit.

They were quietly watching the Meerkats, when a group of children next to them started being silly and acting out the 'Compare the Market' advert, much to Lee's annoyance.

" _Why is it that everyone seems to think it's hilarious to say 'simples' in a Russian accent every time they see a Meerkat?"_ , he asked.

" _It's because of that advert"._

 _"Yes I know that, I just don't know why everyone feels the need to copy it. It's not funny, and it's such a cliche"._

 _"They're only children Lee"._

 _"I know but the advert is annoying enough as it is, I don't need to hear people doing impressions of it all the time"._

 _"Come on Mr Grumpy, let's move on before you actually say something to these children and end up getting kicked out of the zoo or arrested"._

 _"I got kicked out of Chester Zoo once"._

 _"Why? What did you do? Or would I rather not know?"_

 _"I was a teenager, I was there was some mates. We were messing around and I tried to feed the ducks"._

 _"Oh, are you not allowed to feed the ducks there?"._

 _"Not to the crocodiles, no"._

 _"What!...oh...that's a joke, right? And probably an old one at that"_ , Lucy said, noticing Lee was smiling.

" _Yes it was a joke. The real reason wasn't actually my fault. My mate tried to nick a chocolate bar from the shop and got caught. My mum was so angry that the money she'd spent on my entrance fee had been wasted that she banned me from hanging around with him after that"._

 _"That's probably not why she banned you from hanging around with him. I'd imagine that was more to do with the shoplifting"._

 _"Oh no, it was the wasted entrance fee, she hated spending money"._

 _"Oh, so that's where you get it from!"._

 _"Some would call me tight, others would say I'm just careful. I go with the latter"._

 _"Okay, if you say so. Right, I think it's the chimps next"._

...

Lee and Lucy made their way to the chimpanzee exhibit.

" _Reunited with the family at last eh Lee?"_ , Lucy teased as they watched the apes swinging from the tyres and ropes that were part of the 'playground' within their enclosure that had been created by the zookeepers to keep them occupied.

" _Hey! I'd expect that from Tim or your dad but not you"._

 _"Sorry, it's all those years of teasing, I just comes naturally now, I can't help it"._

 _"I know, I've noticed. Woah! What's that?"_

They heard a loud drumming sound.

" _There's a chimp look just to the right you, it's tapping on the glass. I think it's trying to get your attention. See, it must recognise you, one of its cousins"._

 _"I thought you fancied me"._

 _"I do"._

 _"Then if you think I look like a chimp, what does that say about you?"_

 _"I never said you look like a chimp, you act like one sometimes maybe..."_

 _"I do not..."_

 _"Ergh! Charming!"_ , Lucy exclaimed, screwing up her face in disgust as the chimp picked up some poo off the floor and threw it.

" _See, I don't do things like that for a start!"._

 _"You say that, but the mess I'm sometimes greeted with when I clean our bathroom would suggest otherwise"._

 _"You're on a roll today with the insults aren't you? It's a good job I'm thick skinned"._

Lucy was worried she'd gone too far for a second, until she noticed Lee still seemed to be smiling.

" _You love it really don't you, me teasing you? Anyway, you give as good as you get"._

 _"I wouldn't have any other way. I think it's just your way of flirting with me anyway"._

 _"Maybe"._

Tim and Daisy had often suggested to Lucy that her and Lee's constant witty banter and exchange of sarcastic comments was because they were attracted to each other, and she had always vehemently denied this. Now she realised this observation was one hundred percent accurate.

...

Lee and Lucy walked towards the Bonobos in the next enclosure. They were greeted by the sight of a pair of the Chimpanzee-like apes having sex.

" _Not them as well! I hate the phrase 'get a room' but in this case I really think they should_ ", Lee exclaimed.

Lee was sure some higher power was doing this on purpose. He was trying not think about sex, though it was on his mind a lot at the moment. Now all of these animals were shoving it in his face.

" _Scientists believe that Bonobos are the only animals which separate sex from reproduction, other than humans"._

 _"Really? How do you know that?",_ Lee asked, impressed as always with Lucy's knowledge.

" _I saw it on a BBC wildlife documentary once"._

Lee usually zoned out when Lucy was watching anything he considered to be educational on television.

" _They're the nearest animal to us genetically apparently_ ", she added.

" _They're very blatant aren't they?"_ , Lee said, wanting to look away but a bit too fascinated to do so completely.

" _I guess they don't feel any shame about it. Or maybe they're doing it on purpose because they know we're watching"._

 _"You mean they're exhibitionists?"_

 _"Not exactly, I'm not suggesting they're getting off on us watching. Maybe they just like to see people's reactions, like when monkeys wee on people and chimps throw poo, maybe it's attention seeking"._

 _"Or maybe those Bonobos were just so horny that they couldn't stop themselves"._

 _"Or there's that I suppose"._

 _"Do you think the animals in zoos have any concept that they're being watched, or do they look at us humans as though we're the exhibits?"._

 _"That's a very philosophical question Lee"._

 _"Yeah, I have layers you know. I have deep thoughts sometimes"._

 _"I think they know they're being watched. I read an interview with Sir David Attenborough when he talked about that. The great apes in particular, they're very intelligent, that's why they can get a bit agressive when children tease them and stuff. We should be respectful of them. I do think they watch us as well though, maybe they're intrigued by human behaviour. I suppose we'll never know"._

 _"True, you can't actually ask them after all...oh wow, that Bonobo's trying it on with another female now, impressive recovery time"._

 _"Shall we leave them to their...orgy and go and see the lions? Last time I came here they were all hiding away, hopefully they'll be outside today"._

 _"Yep, lead the way..."._


	9. Chapter 9

**Zoo Part 2**

" _Where are they all? We've been standing here for at least five minutes and we've not seen a single lion yet. The amount we paid to get into the zoo you'd think at the very least the livestock would come out to say hello",_ Lee said, getting bored of waiting for the lions to appear.

" _Perhaps you'd like to go in and say that to their faces? If we're patient we'll see one in a minute"._

Just then they noticed a group of people around the corner pointing into the enclosure. Assuming they had spotted a lion they moved towards the group, hoping to see one too.

" _There you go, there's two. I told you if we waited they'd come out"._

There was a male and female, the male closely following the female around as she paced up and down the enclosure. Then, seemingly without warming, the male mounted the female and began mating with her.

" _Blimey! Either the zookeepers have been putting aphrodisiacs in the animal feed or there's something in the air today",_ Lee exclaimed.

" _Maybe there is...something in the air",_ Lucy replied, her slightly flirtatious tone of voice making Lee's pulse race.

" _They don't really go in for foreplay do they, animals?"_

 _"That one certainly doesn't. Blimey, it's over already, that was quick!"_

 _"Do you think?"_

 _"Yes I do! and I hope you thought so too. I had a boyfriend like that once, he didn't seem to understand that women need more than just a quick kiss before and after the main event, needless to say he wasn't my boyfriend for very long"._

 _"I was joking a second ago by the way. I don't really think that going from zero to thanks love can you pass me a cigarette in under a minute is acceptable"._

 _"You don't smoke"._

" _Exactly, that's why it's not acceptable"._

Lucy rolled her eyes.

" _Seriously though, you know some men need and want more than just kiss before the main event too. The way I see it, sex is like Christmas, the build up is half the fun"_ , Lee added, redeeming himself.

" _As long as the main event isn't an anti-climax. Christmas day feels like that sometimes"._

 _"No, I usually go for he opposite of that"._

 _"Tell me more"._

Lucy had that suggestive look in her eyes again, and Lee felt his heartbeat start to increase. He wasn't sure he could handle this new cranked up level of flirting.

They headed towards the monkey enclosure, continuing their conversation as they walked.

" _Actually...maybe we should change the subject"._

 _"Are you not comfortable discussing sex with me?"._

 _"It's not that. Well, actually I'm not completely, the truth is I'm trying not to think about too much when I'm with you"._

 _"Why?"_

 _"Isn't that obvious?"._

 _"No it isn't. I think when it comes to sex we should be able to discuss it without being embarrassed. We should be open and honest"._

 _"Okay then...Luce...is it still on the cards between us?"_

" _What?"_

 _"Sex"._

 _"I'm not ruling anything out. What about you?"_

Lucy knew she loved Lee now, and she was pretty sure he felt the same, but she needed him to hear him say it, needed to know this wasn't just going to be a fling before she was willing to consummate their relationship. There was too much at stake otherwise. Their living together, their friendship.

" _Of course I want to, I want you. But that's why I don't find it easy to talk about sex with you. My mind starts to wander and it's hard enough just being around you and not being able to touch you all the time...when I say it's hard I don't mean my...you know. I mean hard as in difficult. Don't get me wrong, I don't want you to think I'm some sort of pervert but you said we should be honest and open...and the honest truth is can't think about anything else a lot of the time, but I'm scared as well..."._

Lucy interrupted,

" _Scared?"_

 _"Yes, scared that if or when we take that step I'll disappoint you"._

 _"I'm sure you won't"._

 _"The thing is...although before I knew you I...there was a few women, so you'd think I would be all casual when it came to sex but the thing is, those other women...and there wasn't as many as Tim would have you believe by the way...didn't really mean anything to me, or at least nowhere near as much as you do. And I've wanted you for so long that I've dreamt up this perfect love scene in my head and I feel like I'm putting pressure on myself, because what if you've created a scene in your head too and I don't live up to it, to your expectations?"_

 _"Lee..."._

Lucy hadn't realised Lee felt this way. He always seemed so confident on the surface, she never thought he'd have similar insecurities to her own.

" _Wait, I haven't finished...and then there's the sexual tension between us. I'm sure you must agree it's always been there, and I'm a bit scared of what might happen when...if...we finally release it. What if I can't control myself, physically? What if my body betrays me and I...let you down?"_

 _"Are you talking about premature ejac.."_

Lee didn't let Lucy finsish her sentence.

" _Well, I wasn't going to to be that blunt but yes, I suppose so. Sorry, I'm just being stupid. I really shouldn't be saying all of this, the last thing I want to do is put you off"._

 _"You're not putting me off. I'm pleased you're being open with me. That's important in a relationship, that we're able to share our feelings with each other. Is premature ejaculation a problem you've had...in past relationships?"._

 _"No, luckily all the women I've gone out with have had short attention spans so..."._

 _"Be serious Lee"._

 _"No, it's not a problem I've had before".._

 _"Well them why are worried about it now?"_

 _"I don't know. I guess I'd just want it to be perfect. Look...I've been honest with you. Can I ask why you want to wait, what's holding you back? I mean I respect that you do but I just wondered...if there's anything so specific in particularly stopping you?"_

 _"It's a big deal for me too. I haven't let anyone in, you know let them get that close to me since Guy and you know how that ended. And it was ages ago. So I'm scared too, it's a massive thing"._

" _Well, I've never had any complaints and I'd say it was bigger than average but I don't know if I'd describe it as massive, that would be boasting"._

Lucy sighed. She wished Lee could stop joking for one minute so they could have this important conversation.

" _I wasn't talking about the size of your...thing"._

She gestured towards his crotch as she spoke.

" _My thing? I thought it was me feeling uncomfortable about discussing sex with you. You can say penis"._

 _"Okay...I wasn't talking about the size of your penis. I meant taking that step is a massive thing"._

Lucy was blushing a deep red now.

" _I know what you meant, I was joking. That's what I do when our conversations get intense remember? That's partly why I'm so scared of disappointing you, because I know how big a deal it is for you"._

 _"Have you ever thought that maybe I'm scared of disappointing you too? It's about confidence partly for me, in myself, in my body. After Guy I lost that a bit, a lot actually"._

 _"You don't need to worry about that. You're beautiful, I've never met anyone as beautiful as you. You have an amazing body"._

 _"Thank you. But to be fair you haven't seen all of it"._

 _"Actually I have pretty much remember, that time when that stupid bathroom lock didn't work. Not that I was purposely looking"._

Lucy blushed even deeper, if that was possible, though she found herself smiling too.

" _Either way, we're talking about me sharing my whole self with someone else, I have to be able to trust that person completely"._

 _"Don't you trust me?"_

 _"Yes, but I have to be able to trust us...our relationship...too, if that makes sense. I wouldn't want to spoil what we already have, us living together and our friendship. I wouldn't want to lose that and if we jumped into bed and then it all came to an end it would be too awkward to carry on as we were. I have to feel certain that this isn't just a fling"._

Lee had suspected this, and not only did he understand the way Lucy was feeling, he felt almost exactly the same.

" _What would make you certain of that?"_

 _"I don't know, time I suppose is part of it, and working out...you know...understanding how I feel and knowing how you feel, whether we both feel the same"._

 _"How do you feel?"_

Lee wasn't sure whether he was ready to hear the answer to this question, but it had just fallen out of his mouth.

" _I...I...ergh! That monkey just threw poo at the other one! What is it with the animals in this zoo and throwing poo. Maybe...maybe this isn't the time or the place to have this conversation. Maybe we should talk about this back at home"._

If she was going to declare her love for Lee she thought it should be just the two of them, at home where they felt comfortable and not surrounded by screaming children and animals that were either getting frisky with each other or throwing their own excrement around, that wasn't the setting she imagined as she played out the scenario in her head.

" _You're right, let's just enjoy the day out, and we'll talk about this later"._

Lee felt almost relieved, as although he wanted to know how Lucy felt, he knew the conversation would inevitably lead to him having to tell her how he felt and that terrified him.

During the rest of their visit to the zoo, the pair talked about everything other than their relationship, the animals and the other zoo visitors providing plenty of topics of conversation. Afterwards they bought some lunch and took a leisurely walk up Primrose Hill...


	10. Chapter 10

**Picnic on Primrose Hill**

" _Wow, you were right about the view from up here, you can see for miles across London. It's worth the climb"._

 _"See over there, you can just about see our apartment building"_ , Lucy pointed to a place in the distance.

" _I can't see it...are you sure? Oh yes, there it is!",_ Lee squinted and strained his eyes until he finally saw it.

" _I don't know about you but I'm hungry, shall we find someone to sit for our picnic?"._

 _"Yep let's do that. How about under that tree over there"._

 _"Perfect"._

Lucy delved into her large bag, pulled out a rolled up picnic mat and placed it below the tree where they'd chosen to sit. Next she produced all of the items they'd brought for lunch, and two plastic cups and plates. Lee, feeling guilty about Lucy holding everything in her bag, had insisted on carrying the bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice and punnet of strawberries up the hill.

" _You're like Mary Poppins with that bag, how much more stuff have you got in it?"_

 _"I like to be prepared for every eventuality. I was a Girl Guide, something stuck. And to be fair I thought we might end up having have a picnic today. Right, we've got salad, sandwiches and crisps, what do you want first?"._

 _"Can you pass me a cheese and ham sandwich please...thanks"._

They ate all of the sandwiches and salad, then shared the bag of sour cream and chive crisps. Washing it all down with orange juice, they opened the punnet of strawberries to have for pudding.

...

Lucy was half lying down, half sitting up, her head resting on Lee's lap as he sat up against the tree, his knees bent. He was absentmindedly playing with her hair, stroking it and gently twizzling strands around his fingers. Every so often would pick up a strawberry and feed to her, then bend down and give her a brief kiss, tasting the sweet berry juice on her lips.

It really was the perfect way to spend an afternoon, spoiled only by the wasps which had been buzzing around them for a while now, and were trying to land on the strawberries. Lee kept trying to swipe them away with an empty sandwich packet, despite Lucy's warning that they were more likely to sting if you annoyed them.

" _I love people watching when I'm in the park, especially here. If we sit here for long enough we might see a celebrity. Loads of famous people live around here_ ", Lucy said.

" _To be honest I'm happy just watching you_ ". Was Lee's response.

Lee was still so overwhelmed with the thought that Lucy was his girlfriend, it was still such a wonderful novelty for him that they could sit here like this. He was so caught up in Lucy that even if the Queen had walked right past them he wouldn't have noticed.

" _You're watching me? I'm not doing anything, I don't think I'm that interesting"._

 _"You're just being you, that's enough for me"._

Lee kept surprising Lucy with romantic sentiments like these, and each time he did she felt a tingly, warm and fuzzy feeling running through her. She slowly sat up, and took Lee's hand, meeting his gaze.

" _D...do you think now might be the time to finish our conversation from earlier?"_

 _"Erm, maybe...yes...I suppose...where were we?"._

 _"I was going to tell you how I feel"._

 _"Oh yes...go on then...oh no those bloody wasps are back! Let me get rid of them first...can't you just go away and bother some other people, we're trying to have a conversation...an important one...sod off...ow...shit...you little bastards...owww"._

 _"Have you been stung?"_

 _"Yes...bloody hell that hurts...stung twice, both of them"._

 _"Where did they sting you?"_

 _"My arm, right here"_ , Lee showed Lucy and she examined the bright red marks on Lee's forearm.

" _That looks sore. I did warn you about annoying them"._

 _"Don't you dare say I told you so. I just wanted them to leave us in peace. And yes it is sore thank you, it really hurts. Have you got anything in that Mary Poppins bag of yours for wasp stings?"._

 _"I might have, I think I've probably got some antiseptic cream at the very least, it's got local anaesthetic in. Yep, here you go. You're not allergic are you, to wasp stings?"_

 _"I'm not sure, I've only ever been stung by a bee before, so I don't know"._

 _"Hmm those stings look like they're getting quite inflamed, there's two big hives forming. Maybe we should head home, I've got antihistamine medicine in the bathroom cabinet, you should take some just in case"._

Lee and Lucy gathered the rubbish from their picnic and packed away the set of their things, Lee complaining every few seconds about the pain in his arm. He was still surprised about how much it hurt. It looked like they would have to finish their conversation back at home after all.

The Tube journey was a little fraught, with Lee starting to panic that he might be allergic to wasp stings, despite the fact he didn't really have any symptoms to suggest this was the case. It was just that the idea had been planted into his head, and now he was imaging the worst possible scenario, thinking his throat was about to swell and his airways close up. Lucy tried her best to keep him calm, reassuring him that if was going to have an allergic reaction it probably would have started by now. He was happier once they were back home and had taken the antihistamine Lucy gave him.

...

 **An evening in**

" _Thanks for looking after me Luce, I feel like a proper idiot now, talk about pathetic"._

 _"Don't worry about it, I was the same the first time I got stung by a wasp. It know it isn't a pleasant experience"._

 _"The rest of the day was though, don't you think?"_

 _"It was really lovely, the best day out I've had for a long time"._

It certainly had been a special day, they had talked at length, getting to know even more about each other than they did already. There had been lots of flirtation, making each other laugh. Neither could deny how much they enjoyed each other's company. There were silences of course, but they were comfortable ones. The quiet moments between them had always been like that. Lee had shown his affectionate side, making Lucy melt every time he held her hand or kissed her.

" _How's your arm now?"_

 _"Still stings a bit, but I'll live. I want to cook you dinner tonight, as a way of saying thank you for today, especially for the nursing duties"._

 _"You don't have to do that. I know cooking isn't really your thing"._

 _"Well if you don't think I'm good enough to..."._

 _"I didn't say that. I just meant...you know what, nevermind, I'd love you to cook dinner...I'm looking forward to it already"._

 _"Good"._

 _"So, what are you going to cook?"_

 _"I'm not sure yet, I might have a look at some of your cookbooks if you don't mind"._

 _"Go ahead, maybe start with something simple though. Don't try to run before you can walk"._

 _"Oh ye of little faith Lucy. It can't be that difficult surely? Daisy cooks for her and Tim, if she can do it, anyone can"._

 _"Daisy asked me how to make cheese on toast the other day. I think they live off ready meals most of the time"._

 _"Oh"._

 _"Lee?"_

 _"Yes?"_

Lucy's expression changed and she looked like she wanted to say something important. Lee felt nervous all of a sudden.

" _I think it's about time we talked"._

 _"We are talking"._

 _"I mean about us, about how we feel. We can't keep putting it off"._

 _"Okay...who's going first?"_

 _"Me I suppose...when I was ill recently, with the food poisoning..."._

 _"I hope the thought of me cooking for you hasn't made you think about the food poisoning again"._

 _"No, it's not that. When I was ill, I..."._

Just as Lucy was trying to get her words out there was a knock at the door of the flat.

" _Who's that?",_ Lee asked as though Lucy could tell just from the knock.

" _I don't know, I can't see through doors"._

 _"Shall I answer it?"_

 _"I suppose, it'd better be someone important though"._

Lee opened the door and Daisy was standing there grinning.

" _It isn't",_ Lee called back to Lucy.

" _What do you want?"_ , he said to Daisy, sounding more terse than he intended.

" _That's a bit rude Lee. I wouldn't greet my friends at the door like that"._

 _"Neither would I",_ Lee remarked sarcastically.

" _Sorry Daisy, I meant..what can we do for you?"_

 _"Actually I needed to speak to Lucy, is she here?"._

 _"No"._

 _"Who's that sitting on the sofa then? I don't know, anyone would think you didn't want me here"._

 _"Well, it's just that me and Lucy were in the middle of something so..."_

Daisy, ignoring what Lee was saying practically barged past him then and walked towards the sofa, helping herself to a seat.

" _Do come in"_ , Lee mumbled under his breath, shaking his head.

" _Daisy, hi. Is everything okay? Can this wait because we were about to..."._

 _"Do that important thing we were about to do that I can't...now...remember",_ Lee added, kicking himself for being unable to think of an excuse to get rid of Daisy.

" _Well, actually it can't really wait. There's something I wanted to talk to you about, I couldn't discuss it with Tim. It's sort of a medical thing"._

 _"You know I'm not qualified to give out medical advice? That's what doctors are for"._

 _"I don't think I need a doctor. It's a bit know...delicate...sort of a women's problem. Have you ever had that thing where your..."_

 _"Right well, it's been lovely to see you Daisy but I think now is my cue to go into the kitchen and start working on this dinner"_ , Lee said, feeling the need to escape from this conversation and quickly.

" _It's still quite early_ ", Lucy said.

" _I get the feeling this is going to be a meal that requires lots of preparation. Bye Daisy"_.

With that Lee disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Lucy to hear about Daisy's...well, he was trying not to imagine what it was she had come to talk about...


	11. Chapter 11

**An evening in continued...**

Nearly two hours later, and after much unsuccessful hinting by Lucy, Daisy finally decided it was time for her to go home.

Lucy opened the kitchen doors to see Lee surrounded by mess. There were vegetable peelings all over the floor, and dirty pots and pans stacked up everywhere.

" _Blimey Lee, it looks like we've been burgled!"_

 _"Sorry, this is more organised than it looks honestly"._

 _"Hmmm, I'll take your word for it. I hope you're going to clean up this mess"._

 _"Yes, I'll clean it up, don't worry. Has Daisy gone home?"_

 _Yep, finally. I don't mean to be horrible, I'm really fond of Daisy, she's like a sister to me...but occasionally she can just be a bit too...I can't even think of the word"._

 _"A bit too Daisy? Sometimes wonder how your brother manages to live with her without going completely insane"._

 _"Why do you think he does so much overtime at work?"._

 _"Ah, that makes sense now. What were you talking about for nearly two hours anyway? I mean, how many ways is there to tell someone to drink some cranberry juice or put some natural yoghurt on it? That's usually what you women do when you've got...women's issues right?_

" _Actually the yoghurt thing would actually have been good advice in this case, I told her to go to the pharmacist and get some ointment or something"._

 _"That's too much information...I really didn't need to know that"._

 _"Neither did I, but I had to listen to every intimate detail. Anyway, once I'd managed to move the conversation on she spent he rest of the time quizzing me about the two of us. Tim told her that we'd been on a date. She seemed happy that we're together though, in fact the phrase she used was 'it's about time'. Then she started telling tales of her and Tims early relationship. Put it this way, I've learned far too much about Tim this afternoon as well as Daisy"._

 _"Poor you"._

 _"What are we having for dinner anyway? It smells nice"._

 _"I'm doing roasted chicken breasts with herbs and garlic and I'm attempting a white wine sauce. I'm serving it with roast potatoes and some veg"._

 _"Sounds lovely. Do you need any help?"_

 _"No thanks, it's all in hand. It should be ready soon, I think it will be another twenty minutes"._

 _"Great, I'll go and lay the table, leave you to it"._

...

A little while later, Lucy heard Lee yelling from the kitchen, and went to investigate.

" _Is everything okay in here?"_

 _"No it's not. I didn't think the chicken was cooked so I put it back in and now it's rubbery, the potatoes are burnt and vegetables are soft. I don't even want to talk about the white wine sauce"._

Lucy, seeing how disappointed Lee obviously was, tried to make him feel better.

" _I'm sure it's all still edible, don't worry"._

 _"It's not now, I put it in the bin"._

 _"You didn't have to do that, I would've eaten it"._

 _"I've phoned for pizza, I'm sorry"._

 _"What for?"_

 _"For making a mess of the dinner, wasting the food. I wanted to do something nice for you, to impress you and I failed miserably"._

 _"You didn't fail, it's fine"._

 _"That means it's not fine. When women say something is 'fine' it never is"._

 _"Lee, believe me, this really isn't a big deal. So what if your cooking wouldn't win you a Michelin Star? I don't care. I just appreciate that you made an effort tonight. You tried, everyone has cooking disasters, especially when they're just learning"._

 _"Thanks. I'd completely understand if you never let me near the kitchen again though"._

 _"No chance, if at first you don't succeed remember"._

 _"If at first you don't succeed, give up and order a takeway, isn't that how the saying goes?"_

 _"Something like that. Now stop looking so forlorn and come here"._

Lucy grabbed Lee by the shirt and planted a sound kiss on his lips, making him grin against her mouth. She pulled him towards the sofa. Not breaking their embrace, they settled down on it, Lee bringing Lucy onto his lap as their kiss became more and more passionate, their hands starting to explore.

A mobile phone rang loudly, causing them to break apart. It was Lucy's phone, which was sitting on the arm of the sofa.

" _Who's that?",_ Lee asked, the frustration evident in his voice as Lucy removed herself from his lap and picked up her phone.

" _It's Mum. I'll ignore it, she probably just wants to tell me about some new shoes she bought today or something trivial"._

 _"Are you sure? You can answer it if you want"._

 _"No, I'll call her back later...oh, I've got a text now. Her and dad are nearby and want to pop round for a cup of tea. If I don't answer it hopefully they'll assume I'm out "._

Sick of being interrupted today, Lucy put her phone on silent and shuffled close to Lee again.

" _Right, where were we?"_ , she whispered, closing the gap between her and Lee.

The landline rang then, and Lucy mumbled against Lee's mouth, " _ignore it"_.

Lee nodded, and reclaimed her lips, immediately deepening the kiss. Within a couplle of minutes things had become fairly heated and they were lying on the sofa, Lee on top of Lucy, their hands all over each other.

They still hadn't finished their conversation from earlier, and neither had voiced the depth of their feelings for each other yet, but neither wanted to stop and talk right now,

Lucy sighed and moaned softly, her fingertips digging in to Lee's back as he moved his mouth away from hers, drawing a path with his lips down to her neck, kissing and nibbling her there. He slipped his hands under her top, stroking the soft and sensitive skin just above her hips, gradually moving up to her waist and breasts.

They were so lost in each other, so caught up that they didn't notice that Lucy's phone kept vibrating on the coffee table, or hear the knocking on the door a few minutes later. They even failed to hear the flat's door being opened. What finally made them come back to earth from their own little universe were the yells of surprise from Geoffrey and Wendy as they witnessed the scene in front of them...


	12. Chapter 12

" _What the hell is going on? Get off my daughter right now!",_ Geoffrey shouted, sounding angry.

Lee and Lucy sprang apart, sat up and quickly readjusted their ruffled clothing. They looked at each other then, as if to say 'how on earth are we going to explain this away'. Shocked and red faced, neither dared to look at Lucy's parents as they sat waiting for the grilling they knew they were about the receive. Lucy turned to Lee and spoke in a whisper,

" _Why didn't you lock the door Lee? You were the last one in, you know the rule"._

 _"I thought I had_ ", he said, sounding slightly desperate.

" _Why did you just walk in to the flat? Haven't you heard of knocking?_ ", Lucy dared to question her parents, really annoyed that they had just barged in.

" _We did, and there was no answer. We were passing so thought we could come in for a cup of tea, we haven't seen you since you had the food poisoning. You didn't answer your phone, then we saw a police car and an ambulance outside the flats. So after we tried several more times and you didn't answer the landline either we were worried about you"._

 _"I might have just not heard it ringing, or I might have been out and not had a phone signal"._

 _"The answerphone in the flat didn't come on, that always come on when you're out. We even tried Lee's phone to see if he knew where you were"._

 _"My phone's on charge in my bedroom_ ", Lee said.

" _Did you purposely ignore our calls Lucy?_ ", Geoffrey asked, his tone of voice making Lucy feel like she was 8 years old again.

" _I...I...I'm sorry but it wasn't a good time"._

 _"I can see that. You need to apologise to your mother, she saw the emergency vehicles and convinced herself something terrible had happened to you"._

 _"You need to stop worrying about me so much, I'm 31 years old! This is the problem with mobile phones, if you don't answer instantly people either get offended or start to assume you're lying in a ditch somewhere"._

 _"You're still our baby daughter Lucy, it's our job to worry about you, and given what was going on between the two of you when we arrived it seems that in this case we were right to"._

Geoffrey kept saying 'we' and 'our', even though Wendy was shaking her head, and was not joining in with his tirade.

" _No, you weren't"_ , Lucy said insistently.

" _Don't argue with me Lucy, I'm waiting for you both to explain yourselves"._

 _"Why should we?"_

 _"Lee was on top of you, you were kissing...and what can only be described as...heavy petting"._

 _"Ugh, I hate that phrase, you're making us sound like a pair of teenagers. We're grown adults"._

 _"In that case tell me what's going on?"_

 _"Surely that's obvious"._

 _"Since you claim to be just friends I wouldn't say that. Is this some sort of arrangement you've got?"_

 _"Are you asking me if Lee is a friend with benefits?"_

 _"I don't even know what that means. I'm asking if you are sleeping together"._

 _"Geoffrey!_ ", Wendy tried to interrupt, disappointed though not surprised by his reaction. She was ignored.

" _That is none of your business Dad_ ".

Geoffrey continued undetered,

" _Okay then, I'll ask Lee. What do you think you are playing at manhandling my daughter? Have you finally wormed your way into her bed?"_

 _"Geoffrey, I'm not...",_ Lee tried to think of a response.

" _It's not like that Dad, leave him alone. Me and Lee are...it's early days but we've decided to be more than just friends. I can't explain it properly yet because we're just exploring our feelings and we haven't had the chance to..."_

 _"Lucy darling, you don't have to explain. I understand"_ , Wendy said, casting another disapproving look towards Geoffrey.

" _Thanks mum",_ Lucy said, smiling weakly.

" _I don't care what your mother says Lucy, I'm not happy about this. I thought I'd made it clear how I feel about Lee. He's not good enough for you"._

 _"I am actually in the room_ ", Lee said, getting wound up and wanting to defend himself.

Wendy managed to speak again,

" _Geoffrey, calm down. Remember how Lee helped us not so long ago? It's thanks to him that our marriage is back on track. Stop being so harsh on him"._

 _"He was probably only helping to impress Lucy. It was probably just a tactic so she would let him have his wicked way with her"._

 _"He hasn't had his wicked way with me, stop making out that Lee is some sort of pervert and I'm a victim. Anyway, we haven't...actually I'm not going into this. I know you don't like Lee but you don't really know him. I do, and if I want to have a relationship with him I will. Who I see is up to me, I'm a fully grown, independent woman. You don't get to decide who is or isn't a suitable boyfriend for me, I do"._

 _"Lucy's right Geoffrey. I think we should go home and leave them to it before Lucy refuses to ever speak to us again, we're sorry for interrupting you"._

 _"No we're not",_ Geoffrey added.

" _Yes, we are, and we're leaving",_ Wendy said forcefully, guiding Geoffrey towards the door.

Just as Lucy's parents left the flat the pizza arrived...


	13. Chapter 13

Lee and Lucy were both still slightly in shock as they closed the door behind them, making extra sure they locked it.

Lucy had been worrying about how her parents might react when they found out about her and Lee, but she had been planning to wait to tell them until she was sure their relationship was serious. Nevertheless, she had already been thinking about how she was going to tell them gently and being caught with Lee in a compromising position was definitely not part of the plan.

Lee was a feeling understandably wounded by the exchange with Lucy's parents, having been the target of Geoffrey's insults. And he could see Lucy was a bit shaken and upset, though she was clearly trying to hide it.

" _Are you okay Luce?"_

 _"Yeah, I'm okay. You?"_

 _"Yeah. Come on, let's eat. I worked very hard on that phone call to Speedy Pizza"._

 _"I can see that. I mean, you even asked for extra mushrooms. You know me so well"._

Lee smiled, pleased that Lucy had noticed this gesture. He wasn't even that keen on mushrooms, he just knew that they were Lucy's favourite.

They sat at the dining table and shared out the pizza, eating it without mentioning what had just happened at first. Today had been so lovely, and Geoffrey had definitely spoiled the mood somewhat, though Lee and Lucy were both trying to make light hearted conversation. They couldn't finish all the pizza, and Lee put the leftovers in fridge then joined Lucy who was now back on the sofa.

" _Sorry I didn't lock the door earlier. I won't make that mistake again",_ Lee said, no longer able to stop himself from referring to what happened with Lucy's parents earlier.

" _Don't worry, not locking door isn't really the issue is it? I'm sorry, about my Dad"._

 _"You don't need to apologise for him Luce"._

 _"Well, I feel like I do"._

 _"What are we going to do about him anyway?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Well, he's never going to like me is he? I don't want to come between you and your parents"._

 _"Well, I don't want my dad to come between us. He'll get over the shock of tonight, and I think he just needs to get to know you more, he'll learn to like you. I already know my mum does"._

 _"I'm glad you can be so optimistic about this"._

 _"Look, my dad's never approved of any of my boyfriends, that's just him. I think he'd prefer it if I became a nun. Anyway, I'm not looking for his approval"._

 _"I'm happy to hear that, but I still want him to approve of me"._

 _"Let's not let this spoil today, let's forget about my parents for now"._

" _I know you said to forget about them, but...you don't think the universe is conspiring against us, like someone's trying to tell us this is a bad idea? I mean, the first time I asked you out I ended being hit by the car, and since we've officially been going on dates every one has ended badly or in some sort of disaster. And now this"._

 _"No, I don't think the universe is conspiring against us. We've both just had a bit of bad luck recently, I'm sure things can only get better. And nothing went wrong today. Okay, apart from the wasp stings and the overlooked dinner and my parents interrupting. But neither of us ended up in hospital so things must be looking up right?"._

Lee nodded and smiled. Lucy continued,

" _We had a lovely time today, or at least I did. It's not like you to be defeatist, are you not into this? Are you having second thoughts about us?"_

 _"God no, I am very much into this. I just feel responsible sometimes for things going wrong, I've always been a bit...hapless I think is the word. I suppose I'm just giving you a chance to back out before things, you know...progress"._

 _"I don't want to back out"._

 _"Thank God for that...and I did too by the way, have a lovely time today. It was a perfect day, well almost perfect"._

 _"Good. Lee...you said you're very much into this? And you want things to progress?"_

 _"Yes, I...I..like you, a lot. In fact...I...I..actually..maybe it's too soon, I don't want to put you off"._

Lee was about to tell Lucy he loved her but something, fear probably, stopped him.

" _Lee, if we can get over all the challenges that have been thrown at us so far, well that's a good sign isn't it? Whatever you are wanting to say, it won't put me off. Just like the cancelled tennis and the cinema fire and the food poisoning...all of those things and everything that's gone before and the less than perfect cooking tonight and my dad's bloody mindedness about you haven't put me off. Please tell me what you were going to say"._

Lee decided then that he just had to be brave and say it, he couldn't keep his feelings in any longer.

" _When I was in a coma. I nearly didn't wake up, because I was happy in my dreams, being married to you. I didn't want to leave you and go back to just being friends. Because...I love you"._

 _Lucy's heart was pounding now, and she wanted to squeal with joy._

 _"You love me?",_ Lucy had to check she hadn't misheard.

 _"Yes, hadn't you worked that out yet? I'm completely and utterly, madly in love with you. So much so that I can't think straight most of the time"._

Lucy launched herself at Lee then, straddling his lap, taking his face in her hands and kissing him with a whole new meaning and fervour.

" _I love you too",_ she breathed between kisses, " _completely...utterly...madly_ ".

Lee felt slightly dizzy and overwhelmed with elation at Lucy's response. She actually loved him back, and it was the best news he'd ever heard. He couldn't help but smile against her mouth as they continued to kiss, Lucy's hands running over his chest as his wandered across her back, clutching handfuls of her blouse between his fingers as they let their desire take over, just relishing the feeling of being so close to one another. As the passion built and seconds became minutes, they barely came up for air, their kisses becoming increasingly urgent.

Lucy could hear Lee's breathing getting louder and more desperate as she kissed her way down his jawline to his neck, dragging her lips over his skin until she found a sensitive spot close to his ear, nibbling and teasing with her tongue, making him moan with pleasure. She moved her hips then, purposely grinding her against him, and even though they were fully clothed the friction sent him almost crazy with lust.

" _Luce..Lucy...st..op_ ", Lee breathed.

Lucy lifted her head,

" _What's wrong?"_

 _"Nothing, but we're supposed to be taking things slowly and I was dangerously close to losing control just then. I'm getting...you know...aroused"._

Lucy could feel Lee was hard, and it excited her.

" _So was I. This taking things slowly malarkey, to be honest I've had enough of it. Every time we kiss and touch I don't want to stop. I want to be with you Lee, and now I know you love me too...I mean if you still want to wait that's fine but just know I'm ready"._

Lucy removed herself from his lap, standing up as she spoke.

" _I don't want to wait"_ , Lee whispered, his mind racing as fast as his heart now.

" _In that case come here, come with me..."_

Lucy took both of Lee's hands and pulled him up from the sofa, starting to walk backwards as she led him towards her bedroom.

" _Where are we going?"_

 _"Bed, where do you think?"_

 _"Oh..."_ , Lee gulped, sounding nervous. They paused, standing still.

" _Still scared?",_ Lucy asked.

" _Terrified. You?"._

 _"A bit, but I'm excited too. You were scared before we kissed properly for the first time remember, and that turned out fine"._

 _"More than fine"._

 _"Exactly, so how about we don't put any pressure on ourselves now, or overthink this. Let's just see what happens and enjoy every moment, let go of our fears and inhibitions"._

 _"I like your plan. I want this to be perfect for you Luce"._

 _"And I'm sure it will be...but just know that it doesn't have to be. Practice makes perfect after all, and I'm willing to put in the hours if you are"._

 _"Ready and willing"._

 _"Good..now, why are we still talking?",_ Lucy whispered as she reclaimed Lee's lips...


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning: I think this chapter is nearing the M rated boundary, so don't read if you're not old enough or don't like to read that sort of thing.**

 **The next morning...**

Lee woke first, for a split second not wanting to open his eyes in case last night had all been a dream. He could sense Lucy though, feel her skin against his, smell her perfume, hear her murmuring softly as she slept. They were lying facing each other, Lucy's head buried in Lee's chest and one of her legs draped over his, their arms wrapped around each other. Lee didn't really want to wake Lucy, he was happy to just watch her sleep and hold her in his arms.

Lucy eventually stirred, yawning and stretching her limbs, kissing Lee's chest where her head rested.

" _Morning Lee"_ , she whispered.

" _Morning Luce...you okay?"_

 _"Mmmmm...more than okay. I love you"._

 _"I love you too"._

Lucy manoeuvred and shuffled up the bed until she was face to face with Lee, and he kissed her tenderly on the forehead then her lips, turning her smile into a grin.

" _So no regrets then?",_ he asked.

" _Only that we didn't do this sooner...last night was worth the wait though. It was perfect"._

 _"It certainly was...I'd go as far as to say last night was the best night of my life...so...you're happy this morning?"_ , he asked.

" _I've never been happier, I keep thinking I must be dreaming"._

 _"Me too. Only last night was...and this is...better than any dream I've ever had"._

 _"Same. I tell you what though...I certainly know about it this morning"_ , Lucy whispered.

" _Know about what? How do you mean?"_ , said Lee, intrigued.

Lucy blushed a little.

" _Know about what we got up to last night...our...activities. I'm just a little bit...you know...achy and...sore, well maybe sore is too strong a word but...Lee, don't look so concerned. Before last night it had been two years since I had sex remember, so the several times in one night...well, I've just got a few muscles telling me they're out of practice that's all"._

 _"Is there anything I can do to help?"_

Lee was gently, idly stroking Lucy's arm as he spoke, making her skin tingle at the contact.

" _No...unless of course you're willing to kiss it all better?"._

Lee's eyes met Lucy's then, and he felt his temperature rise immediately as he saw the desire and the playfulness in them.

" _I can definitely do that. Where does it hurt?"_ , his voice full of intent.

Lucy sounded slightly breathless as Lee brought his mouth to her neck and began to kiss her there, slowly drawing a path with his lips towards her shoulders.

" _Well...I...I'm not sure I should go into...details...oh"._

 _"I can't kiss it better unless you tell me_ ". He mumbled against her.

.

" _Maybe I can show you instead"._

 _"Show away_ ", Lee breathed, enthusiastically throwing off the bed covers, moving his kisses further down her body...

...

A little while later...

Lee was lying on his side with his head propped up on his elbow, smiling as he watched Lucy. She was lying sprawled and spent on the bed next to him, her eyelids fluttering open and closed, her whole body still trembling and her breaths coming in pants as she recovered from a powerful orgasm.

She'd tried to say something to Lee a couple of times, but seemed to have temporarily lost the ability to speak, so he was waiting patiently for her to come back down to earth, feeling happy and proud that his efforts had induced this effect. Once her heartbeat had slowed down and she finally got her breath back, Lucy turned to face Lee.

" _Hi Luce...are you back in the room? Are you back with me?"_

 _"Mmm..hmm. Hi...I think so. So...it turns out you're bloody good at that too"._

 _"I try my best"._

 _"Just when I thought we couldn't top last night, you go and take it to another level. Talk about intense...you kept quiet about that skill"._

 _"Well, it's hardly something I tend to talk about in everyday conversation"._

 _"That's true. I suppose oral sex isn't really an appropriate topic of discussion at breakfast, especially not with your Landlady"._

 _"Exactly...and no one likes a bragger. Plus, I'm not the best judge of said skill, I've never done it to myself. I mean, if I had that ability I'd never leave the house"._

Lucy rolled her eyes, though couldn't help but giggle when she saw the cheeky twinkle in his eye and smile on his face.

" _So...erm, any plans for later?"_ , Lee asked.

" _No, you?_ ", Lucy replied.

" _No"._

 _"In that case maybe we could just stay here"._

Right now Lucy really didn't want to move.

" _Spend the day in the flat?"_

 _"In bed, you and me still have a lot of lost time to make up"._

Lee had hoped that was what Lucy had meant, but he didn't want to assume.

" _Sounds like an excellent plan to me, I just hope I can keep up with you. You're insatiable Luce"._

 _"I reckon you can keep up with me. You've got excellent stamina, I found that out last night...in fact I found out lots of things about you last night"._

 _"All good I hope?"_

 _"All good. Now...I could do with a shower, fancy joining me?"._

 _"Absolutely, but could you hold that thought. Can we have breakfast first? My tummy just rumbled and something tells me we're going to need the energy"._

 _"Okay...I wouldn't want you getting tired on me"._

 _"You stay there Luce, I'll go and make us something and we'll eat it here"._

 _"Wait...do you think I should do that?"_

 _"You're not going to let me forget last night's disastrous dinner are you? I was thinking toast with marmalade or jam, nothing complicated. I can manage that"._

 _"Okay, but don't be too long"._

" _Why are you going to miss me?"_

 _"Yep"_ , Lucy whispered, kissing Lee briefly and gently on the lips. She watched as he got out of bed and didn't bother to put any clothes on before walking out of the bedroom towards the kitchen...


	15. Chapter 15

**Blackpool (Part1)**

Lee and Lucy's relationship went from strength to strength, and they were soon almost inseparable. Lee continued with his 'mission' to grow up, constantly surprising Lucy, in particular with his new-found emotional maturity. He was also more responsible financially, having kept his word about getting an additional job. Within a couple of weeks of them getting together he found work as a delivery driver for a couple of local food shops.

One evening, two months later...

" _Hi Luce, how was your day?"_ , Lee asked as she breezed into the flat and sat down next to him, kicking off her shoes.

" _Good actually. Banchettos have finally been on the phone"._

Lucy had been waiting two months for the manager of the restaurant where she'd contracted food poisoning to officially admit the restaurant's responsibility and to offer any kind of compensation, even though he'd given her a grovelling apology. She'd been told the delay was something to do with continuing investigations and the involvement of lawyers.

" _Oh right, what did they have to say?"_

 _"Well, sorry again of course. He said the restaurant was responsible for the food poisoning and then started talking about the actions they'd taken to stop it happening again, you know, a review of hygiene procedures and staff retraining, that kind of thing. They've offered me compensation"._

 _"At last. How much?"._

 _"He offered me three thousand pounds"._

 _"Wow! Did you accept it?'_

Lee had assumed Lucy would be offered something out of court, as they were clearly afraid she might sue them, but he didn't think it would be as much as three thousand pounds.

" _No"._

 _"No? Why not?_

 _"Wait, let me finish. I told them about my stint in hospital, and explained that I was self employed so there was the five days of lost earnings, and your lost earnings as you were looking after me. Then I mentioned that you'd had to have your car valeted, and then of course the trauma of the whole thing. So, they ended up offering me five thousand pounds, which I've accepted. You know the claims company I phoned thought they could get me a couple of thousand at the most, so I didn't hesitate. I've got to go and pick up a cheque in the morning"._

 _"Five thousand pounds! Blimey, that's a lot of money Luce!"._

 _"I know. I thought to celebrate we could book that trip to Blackpool we talked about now, no expense spared on the hotel, what do you say?"_

 _"With that amount we could go somewhere better than Blackpool"._

 _"I still want to go though. How about we spend a weekend in Blackpool then move on to the Lake District, stay in a cottage or something for a week? It'll be romantic, our own little lakeside hideaway. I know you don't like flying so I won't suggest a holiday abroad"._

 _"Okay, that sounds lovely. I'll call my boss and if she agrees to me having the time off we can start looking for accommodation online tonight"._

Lee was more than keen on the thought of a romantic getaway with Lucy. With them both working and their flat regularly being invaded by Daisy, Tim and Lucy's parents, they didn't get enough time together alone.

...

Two weeks later, in Blackpool...

Lee and Lucy had booked a suite at a five star boutique hotel, which was conveniently located right on the seafront and was a five minute walk from a tram stop. It was one of the most expensive hotels in the town, but they had decided to push the boat out seeing as Lucy had recieved her compensation money. After only one night there they had already decided it was worth every penny, the room was comfortable and luxurious and the staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. There was definitely no one from the 'scary landlady' school of hospitality here.

Having eaten a delicious breakfast they stepped out of the hotel, their senses immediately awakened by the evocative sounds and smells of the seaside. They heard the seagulls loudly squawking, the waves crashing on the shore and the squeals of excited children playing on the beach. They let the sea air fill their lungs, the smell of the ocean and freshly cooked fish and chips bringing back happy childhood memories. The sun was now shining and the sky was blue, so unexpected and welcome after the rain which had greeted them on their arrival last night. After a whole day of travelling they hadn't really had the time or energy to do anything last night, and after checking in and unpacking they'd gone straight to bed.

" _Welcome to the Golden Mile Luce"._

 _"I made it at last_ ", she said, taking in the sights in front of her.

" _Just remember what I said, keep your expectations realistic and you won't be disappointed"._

 _"Okay_ ", Lucy chuckled, " _How is that job with the Blackpool Marketing board going anyway? I can just see that slogan on a poster"_

 _"It was either that, 'tackiness is in the eye of the beholder', or 'Blackpool- it's not as grim as you think, so I think I chose the kindest one"._

 _"If you say so. Anyway, I'm here, I've got an open mind, I'm ready to experience Blackpool"._

 _"Good, the come on then, what do you want to do first?_ ", Lee asked.

" _I don't know. You know Blackpool, what do you recommended?"._

 _"I suggest we get the tram to the Pleasure Beach, go there if you want. How are you on fairground rides?"_

 _To be honest I'm a teacups and waltzers girl. I only really like the tame ones"._

 _"Oh good, coz if you're planning to go on the Big One don't expect me to come with you. I don't do rollercoasters, not after the trauma of the last two times"._

 _"Oh yeah, all that crap with your dad and the whole goldfish thing. I remember you telling me"._

 _"Yeah, well, let's not talk about my dad now, it'll spoil the mood. There's lots of tame rides at the Pleasure Beach so we'll be fine. After we've been there I suggest we take a slow walk via the South Pier along the promenade back up towards the Tower"._

 _"Sounds good to me. Can we stop for fish and chips at some point though? I can smell them and it's making me hungry"_

" _Yep, the best ones always used to be from a place half way between the North and South Pier. I hope it's still there"..._


	16. Chapter 16

Blackpool (Part 2)

Lee and Lucy spent the best part of the morning at the Pleasure Beach, finding plenty of rides they were both happy to go on, including teacups, water chutes, dodgems and a sort of racing version of a carousel. They even ventured into Nickelodeon Land and went on some of the rides that were really aimed at children, ignoring the funny looks from some of the adults.

They approached a closed in ride where there were a few people queuing.

" _Ooh look Lee, the Tunnel of Love, lets go on this, it might be romantic"._

 _"Okay, but what sort of a name for a ride is the 'Tunnel of Love'? Isn't 'Tunnel of Love' a euphemism for a certain part if the female anatomy?"_

 _"No"._

 _"Well it should be"._

Lee looked at Lee slightly curiously.

" _Why do I get the distinct feeling you're going to call that part of my anatomy the Tunnel of Love from now on?"_

 _"Why not? I can think of worse names for for it. Anyway, you already use the name of a Pleasure Beach ride to refer to my private parts"._

 _"Do I?"._

 _"Yes, the 'Big One'"._

 _"Very funny, I fell right into that didn't I?"._

 _"Actually, all this gives me another idea for a T-shirt slogan. 'I'll enter your Tunnel of Love if you'll ride my Big One'"._

 _"You really do have an innuendo for every situation don't you? If I had the ability to look into that head of yours I swear I'd see a perpetual Carry On film playing in there"._

 _"Or, maybe everything I say is completely innocent and you just have a filthy mind. Have you ever considered that?"_

Lee raised his eyebrow suggestively, then smiled as he leaned in to kiss Lucy, sweeping her hair off her cheek and cupping her face with his hands. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around him to steady herself as they deepened the kiss. After a few seconds they heard someone tutting in disapproval.

" _Excuse me, the queue's moving. Excuse me"_ , an annoyed sounding man repeated, making Lee and Lucy break their embrace .

" _Sorry_ ", Lucy said quietly, then quickly walked ahead to catch up with the people queuing in front of them, pulling Lee with her.

A few minutes later, they reached the front of the queue and took their seats in the little boat on the manmade river. As soon as they had disappeared into the caves, Lucy felt Lee's mouth on her neck, teasing her, making her shiver.

" _What are you doing?"_ , she breathed, her voice shaky.

" _Kissing you_ ", Lee whispered as he moved his lips slowly over her jawline.

" _Here? Shouldn't we..."_

Lucy never finished her sentence, as Lee reached her mouth, covering her lips with his own.

They didn't break apart until the ride came to a halt several minutes later. Opening their eyes they realised they were back in daylight and they'd missed the entire ride. Rather than getting off they decided to stay on and go round again.

" _Excuse me, you have to get off now_ ", the man checking tickets said firmly.

" _Can't we stay on and go round again?"._

 _"No, it's one ride at a time only"_

 _"Oh come on...be nice, we were kissing in there so we didn't see anything"._

 _"Lee, don't tell him that!",_ Lucy scolded, tapping Lee on the arm, albeit playfully.

" _It's not my fault you can't keep your hands off each other. Please get off and rejoin the queue"._

Lucy felt pretty embarrassed now and wanted to get up and walk away but she couldn't get off the boat without climbing over Lee, who still hadn't moved.

" _Think about it, this whole ride conjures up sexual subliminal messages right? Vessels going in and out of tunnels and caves. It's even called the tunnel of love, we couldn't help but end up kissing in there. That's why we should get another go"._

Lucy was bright red, and had her head in her hands now.

" _You can have another go, as long as you queue up first. And the ride isn't actually called the Tunnel of Love. It's called the river caves"._

 _"Well, it says 'Tunnel of Love' over the entrance"._

 _"That sign was just a prop on a TV show and we kept it there"._

Lee was determined to have his way, and addressed the ticket man again,

" _There's about five people waiting, they'll all fit on this time anyway"._

 _"That's not the point. You have to get off and queue again"._

 _"I wouldn't even call that a queue, what's the point of getting off just to get straight back on again"._

 _"That's the rule, now pease disembark or I'll have to call security"._

 _"Lee, leave it, we'll go on something else"._

 _"But..."_

 _"Get up or you'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight"._

Lee reluctantly did as Lucy said, and she pulled him away before he said anything else.

" _Why do you always have to make a scene in public?"_

 _"I don't. Are you mad with me?"_

 _"A bit...I suppose not really...I just wish you'd think before you speak sometimes"._

 _"Sorry, but that smug little man was on such a power trip, I couldn't help but bite"._

 _"He was a bit of a jobsworth wasn't he? Forget about him anyway, are there any more rides worth going on or shall we go to the pier or somewhere else now?"_

 _"I'd like to go on the Ghost Train before we leave, do you fancy that?"_

 _"Yeah, I love a Ghost Train. They scare me though so you'll have to put up with my screaming"._

 _"You know I love to hear you scream"._

Lucy blushed.

" _Sorry to disappoint, but I'm talking about a very different sort of screaming. I'm quite jumpy, so I'm talking about full on squealing. Think Tim when he sees a spider"._

 _"Ah, I'd better get the ear plugs out then"._

...

A few minutes later, as the Ghost train 'car' started up and moved towards the darkness, Lee said,

" _You know this Ghost Train is said to be haunted?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"There's supposed to be a ghost of a man who used to look after the ride, a mate of mine at school said his uncle worked on maintenance here and they used to hear footsteps in the night and stuff"_

 _"You could have told me that before we got on. I might have changed my mind...arrghhh!"._

Lucy shrieked as several skeletons appeared in front of them and false cobwebs brushed over their heads. Barely thirty seconds after the train started moving she buried her head in Lee's shoulder, and kept it there for most of the rest of the ride.

Lee thought this was very amusing, and kept pretending to jump out of his skin even though he wasn't really scared. With his free hand he touched the top of Lucy's head with his fingertips, and she screamed.

" _What the hell was that?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"I felt something touch the top of my head"._

 _"I don't know, I didn't see anything"._

 _"It felt like a hand. Was it you?"_

 _"No. Maybe it was the ghostly hand of Cloggy. The man that haunts the ride"._

 _"Shut up Lee. It was you wasn't it?"_

 _"No"._

 _"Right that's it, I want to get off"._

 _"We can't get off while the ride's moving. It'll be over any second. I thought you said you liked Ghost Trains"._

 _"I do, but this one has a weird atmosphere. I don't like it"._

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as the ride finished. She got up and walked away as quickly as she could.

" _Sorry about that Lee, for being such a wimp. There was just something about that ride. Either they've just done a really good job of making it scary or there's really something evil in there"._

 _"I think they've just done a really good job at making it scary. I don't believe in ghosts"._

 _"I didn't think I did either. Now I'm not so sure. My heart's still pounding after that"._

 _"It was me who touched your head earlier by the way"._

 _"You git. I knew you were finding this funny"._

 _"Well, it was a bit, sorry. If it makes you feel any better, you might have acted terrified in there but your reaction still doesn't top Tim's that time when we were nineteen and went on the Ghost Train at Thorpe Park. He still maintains that he spilt his drink but I'm convinced he wet himself"._

 _"Poor Tim, you'll never let him forget that day will you?"._

 _"Nope"._

Lucy shook her head.

" _Right, where shall we head now?"_ , she asked.

" _There's a few options, though I know what we should definitely avoid"._

 _"What's that?_

 _"The Horror Maze. It's where you walk around and people dressed as monsters come out and scare you and go after you and stuff"._

 _"Yeah, that's avoid that, we don't want anyone wetting themselves do we. How about we go and get Fish and Chips?"._

 _"Sound good, let's go"._


	17. Chapter 17

**Blackpool part 2**

 **Late afternoon...**

After a couple of hours spent on the beach and the pier, Lee and Lucy were walking hand in hand along the promenade, Lucy still clutching the cuddly toy Lee that had won as a prize in a grabber machine on the pier and given to her.

They were slowly making their way towards their hotel so they could freshen up and change before their evening meal. The plan for the evening was to have a light meal, see the illuminations then go to the Tower.

Much to Lucy's embarrassment, Lee was now wearing a 'Kiss Me Quick, Squeeze Me Slow' hat that he'd bought from a souvenir stall, despite her protests.

They had just stopped to buy an ice cream when they heard the all too familiar sound of a rowdy hen party coming up behind them.

" _Hi darling, will you take our photo please? We'll make it worth your while_ ", one of the hens said to Lee, touching his arm, winking at him and handing him her camera. Lucy glared at the tutu-wearing hen when she noticed her flirtatious body language.

" _Er...yes...okay. Is this just a point and click?_ ", Lee replied, not really feeling like he could say no, but slightly worried about what she meant by 'we'll make it worth your while'.

After taking what seemed like about a hundred photos of the hen party in all manner of different poses, Lee approached the group to give the camera back. As he did he was practically pounced on, each of the girls hugging him and kissing him on the cheek.

Lucy grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him away.

" _Excuse me, he's taken"_ , Lucy said, sounding unamused.

" _Oooh. Wife's getting territorial! Come on love, we're just having a laugh, we were only borrowing him"._

 _"Come on Lee, let's get these ice creams",_ Lucy said, ignoring the hens, who proceeded to walk away. She wouldn't have admitted it at that moment, but she quite liked being referred to as Lee's wife. It sounded right somehow.

" _Thanks for rescuing me Luce. Women on hen do's scare the shit out of me"._

 _"You didn't look too scared when they were groping you. You looked like you were enjoying the attention"._

 _"Wow! are you jealous?_

 _"No"._

 _"No?_ ", Lee questioned, unconvinced by Lucy's answer.

" _Well, maybe a bit. How would you feel if a stag paty did the same thing to me?"_

 _"I'd punch each and every one of their lights out of course"._

 _"Exactly. Now take that hat off before you get accosted again"._

 _"What's the hat got to do with it?"_

 _"They read it and followed the instructions didn't they, it's an invitation for unwanted attention"._

 _"It was only supposed to be an invitation for you"._

 _"I didn't think I needed one"._

 _"You don't"._

 _"Good",_ Lucy whispered as she pulled the hat off Lee's head and kissed him gently but passionately on the lips. Almost immediately there were wolf whistles and jeers from another passing group of hens. They continued, undeterred, until a group of men on a stag weekend saw them and called out,

" _Nice one! Get in there mate, she's definitely up for it!_ ".

Lee and Lucy quickly pulled apart, embarrassed and not sure whether they should say anything or just walk away.

" _Oh, don't let us stop you. We're happy to watch"._

 _"Look, I'm not being funny but we were having a private moment, so do you mind leaving us alone"._

 _"You can't expect to have a private moment on Blackpool promenade, there's thousands of people here"._

 _"Alright, good point. Still, I'd prefer it if you didn't talk about my girlfriend like that_ ", Lee felt suddenly protective over Lucy and felt the need to defend her honour.

" _Like what?"_

 _"Saying she looks like she's up for it, that's a bit rude"._

 _"Alright, sorry, we were just having a laugh"._

 _"Come on Lee, let's go before you end up in a fight"_ , Lucy said, feeling really uncomfortable and keen to get away from the situation. They walked off at quite a pace, only slowing down once they were at a safe distance from the group of stags.

" _I'd be very happy if we didn't see any other stag or hen parties this weekend. How can people behave like that in public?"_ , Lucy exclaimed.

" _I don't think there's much chance not seeing any more, this is Blackpool"._

 _"It's amazing how many people think they can say or do anything as long as they use the excuse that they're 'just having a laugh'._

 _"I know, when we get married...I mean, if...if we ever get married, you know... I'm talking hypothetically of course...I'm not going to have that kind of stag do"._

 _"Glad to hear it"_ , Lucy responded. She started to smile, her smile quickly becoming a grin. There was no mistaking it, Lee had said 'when we get married'. He may have corrected himself but getting married was clearly in his plan for their future and this made her very very happy. She just hoped it wouldn't be too far in the future.

...

 **Back at the hotel...**

" _Which shirt do you reckon Luce?_ ", Lee asked as he held up a blue flowery shirt and a checked one.

" _The blue flowery one. Do you think these earrings will go with my green dress?"_

 _"Yep"._

 _"You didn't even look"._

 _"Luce, I'm not really qualified to give fashion advice, and even when I give it you don't listen to me"._

 _"Will they look right or not?"_

 _"Yes, they'll look lovely. Although you know I'd think you looked beautiful if you were wearing a bin bag, I'm biased. If you don't mind, I want a shower before I change, I feel a bit sweaty"._

 _"Lovely, I really wanted to know that. Don't be too long though, I want one too",_

 _"Why don't you come in with me then, save time"._

Lucy looked at Lee, and could tell what he was thinking from his facial expression. Still, she played along with him.

" _Save time?"_

 _"Yep. And water"._

 _"Oh, all right then, since you put it like that. I'm all for being environmentally friendly after all"._

 _"Exactly, it would irresponsible not to share"._

Lucy knew exactly what Lee had in mind, and she didn't feel the need to resist, quite the opposite in fact.

Lee took Lucy's hand and led her to the bathroom. He quickly unbuttoned and threw off his shirt, watching Lucy slightly entranced as she let her summer dress fall to her feet. He felt his heart racing, the heat rising in his veins as she swiftly removed her underwear. No matter how many times they did this, how many times he'd seen her naked, his body's reaction was always the same. He ached with need, the need to touch her, kiss her, be inside her.

" _Come on Lee, stop staring and take your clothes off. You can't shower with your jeans on"._

 _"Ooh, I like when you get demanding. It's very, very sexy_ ", Lee whispered, closing the gap between him and Lucy, running his fingertips up and down her arm.

" _Is that right?_ ", she breathed, gulping as Lee lightly caressed the ticklish skin just above her hip. Her skin was tingling now, as it did every time Lee touched her. He didn't always even need to touch her, sometimes he only had to say something, or look at her in a particular way to make her whole body hum. He was barely touching her now, but she felt a delicious throbbing at her core, in anticipation of what was to come.

" _That's right"_ , he croaked.

" _Well...if you play your cards right...I might just make a few more demands in a minute. Would you like that?"._

 _"I think you can see how much I'd like that...demand away_ ", Lee whispered, his breaths now coming in gasps as Lucy removed first his trousers then his boxer shorts...

...

Some time later...

Lucy stepped out of the shower cubicle, followed by Lee. He reached for one of the large, fluffy white towels from the bathroom rail and draped it around Lucy. He held her in his arms for a few moments, running his hands up and down her sides to help dry her. He thought he had seen her shivering.

" _Thanks Lee"._

 _"Are you okay, are you getting cold?"_

 _"No, I'm not cold"._

 _"Oh, you look like you're shivering, and you're getting goosebumps"._

 _"If I'm trembling that's because of what we were just doing. You know that's the effect you have on me. My legs are still like jelly. I'm still all warm and glowy inside"._

 _"Good. You won't mind if I dry myself then, I don't want to risk getting too cold before I get dressed. I'm aware the shrinking genitals look isn't an attractive one"._

 _"No, I prefer the opposite if I'm honest"._

Lee grabbed another towel and began to dry himself as Lucy put her underwear back on and wrapped herself in a bathrobe. She continued,

" _Anyway, I've got a bone to pick with you. So much for 'why don't we shower together and save time'. I should've known we'd end up having sex. So far we've never managed to shower together without having sex"._

 _"And that's a bad thing? I didn't hear you complaining just then, moaning maybe..."._

 _"It's not a bad thing, but I think we're going to struggle to make the restaurant now for seven"._

 _"So what? Surely you agree that was worth being late for. I enjoyed it, and from what I could tell so did you"._

 _"Of course I did, I more than enjoyed it"._

 _"Anyway, don't play the innocent, you knew exactly what was going to happen when you agreed to get into the shower with me. So...I think we should make this our new morning routine, what do you reckon?"._

" _Hmm, I'll think about it. Something tells me we'd never get to work on time if we did this every morning"._

 _"We were saving water remember. Think of the environment Luce, think of the environment"._

 _"So, your plan has nothing to do with you getting your rocks off every morning?"_

 _"No, what do you take me for? I'm an environmentalist"._

 _"You're so selfless Lee. I love that about you",_ Lucy said sarcastically. She picked up her phone off the bathroom shelf and looked at the time.

" _Oh no Lee, it's seven o'clock already, we are going to be late for the meal, I'll have to call the restaurant. If they can't move the booking I'm blaming you"._

 _"It's not my fault I can't be naked with you and not get carried away. It's your fault for being so irresistible. Anyway, I seem to remember you were a VERY willing participant. I'd even go as far as to say you were the main protagonist in much of what just happened"._

 _"Yeah, well. You shouldn't be so irresistible either. Right, I'll give the restaurant a ring, see if we can put the booking back half an hour"._

 _"Or maybe an hour, that way we could.._.", Lee dipped his head and brushed his lips against her neck.

" _Lee, I'm hungry"._

 _"So am I...for you_ ", he mumbled against her.

Lucy was finding it difficult not to give in, Lee's mouth on her, nibbling and teasing her, threatening to make her forget everything but him. She could feel his nakedness, barely covered by the hotel towel secured around his waist. The thought of staying here with Lee all evening, of putting the 'do not disturb sign' on the door and shutting out the rest of the world, was extremely tempting.

" _Sorry, but you'll...just have to...oh...control your urges and wait until later...L...Lee...I'm not pushing my luck with restaurant...and you know I've wanted to see the illuminations since I was a child...stop"._

 _"Oh_ ", Lee sighed in disappointment as he removed his mouth from Lucy's neck and looked into her eyes.

" _I'm sure you can manage to control yourself for a few hours. I promise I'll make it worth the wait"._

 _"Really? You know I'll hold you to that. Though believe me, you're always worth the wait"._

 _"So are you"_ , she whispered in response.

Lee certainly knew how to make Lucy feel loved and wanted. He may once have avoided talking about his feelings, but now he never shied away from telling her, showing her how he felt. Below the surface, behind his joke-telling, sarcastic, cheeky exterior, Lee really was quite the romantic, contuinally surprising Lucy with his romantic words and gestures.

Lucy smiled as Lee hooked his finger under her chin to lift her head, then leaned down to kiss her gently, his lips merely brushing against her own. Lucy responded, letting the kiss linger for a few seconds. They broke apart,

" _Right, you really need to get dressed, you're too much of a distraction standing there with just a towel around you"._

 _"Sorry, what can I say? I can't help having the body of a Greek God"._

 _"More like a Greek taxi-driver. Clothes, Lee, put some on"._

Lee headed back into the bedroom to put on the clothes he'd laid out earlier, followed shortly after by Lucy, who kept her bathrobe on and sat down at the dressing table to dry her hair and apply her make up.

" _I phoned the restaurant, they've got us booked for eight o'clock now. They didn't mind, apparently they're not that busy tonight"._

 _"Oh that's never a good sign. I hope it's alright"._

 _"They've just been awarded a five star food hygiene rating, after my food poisoning incident that's the most important thing to me now"._

 _"True. Right, I'm going to have a shave. My stubble's getting a bit out of hand now"._

 _"Okay"._

By the time Lee re-emerged from the bathroom Lucy was made-up and dressed, and was in the process of placing her hair into a sort of messy bun. She finished what she was doing and studied her reflection in the mirror.

" _Right, I'm ready then. As long as the back of my hair looks alright"._

 _"You look beautiful Luce"._

 _"Thanks, and you look very handsome. Now...dress, hair, makeup, I've sorted my handbag, shoes on. I think we're good to go"_ , Lucy reeled off her mental checklist out loud, a habit of hers that Lee always found amusing.

" _Good, let's go and eat then"._

 _"Actually, I could do with a wee first, I'll be thirty seconds"._

 _"Doing rush your wee on my account, we've got plenty of time"_ , Lee called after as Lucy dashed into the bathroom.

He was pleased she needed the bathroom, it gave him the chance to pick up the very important item he needed to take out with them without Lucy seeing...


	18. Chapter 18

**The Illuminations**

After a lovely dinner, Lee and Lucy headed back towards the seafront to see the illuminations. At least it was dark enough now to appreciate them.

They walked along some of the promenade, until their feet started to ache.

" _Do you want to get a tram to see the rest, or a horse drawn carriage maybe?_ ", Lee asked.

" _Oh, please can we get a horse and carriage?",_ Lucy enthused.

" _Okay, but I think they're quite expensive_ ". Lee said.

" _I'll pay, don't worry, you can keep your wallet padlocked for now"._

 _"No, I'll pay. My treat"._

 _"You brought the key out with you then?"_

 _"Lucy, just because a man is careful with his money doesn't mean he's a cheapskate. Being thrifty is an admirable quality in a person. Normally I would consider a horse and cart ride to be a waste of money, however on this occasion I concede that it might be a nice thing to do, it might be considered...romantic"._

 _"Wow Lee, excuse me while I swoon!",_ Lucy said sarcastically, as she rolled her eyes.

" _Well, what can I say? I know how to woo the ladies"._

 _"If you say so...ooh Lee, we have to have one of those ones", Lucy said as she spotted and pointed to the golden coaches that were parked alongside the ordinary horse and carts. They looked just like the fairytale carriages that Princesses rode in books and films._

 _"Really? Aren't they a bit...you know...like something Katie Price would have for one of her weddings?"_

 _"Maybe...but we're in Blackpool...we're embracing the tacky this weekend remember"._

 _"Oh go on then, lets go full tacky_ ", Lee said, knowing he wasn't going to get his way on this one.

...

They took their seats in the coach, which they had been told would take them along the seafront and back, dropping them off at the Blackpool Tower, where they were planning to go next.

" _So, you finally got to see the illuminations Luce. What do you think? Does Blackpool live up to its nickname, 'the Las Vegas of the North?"._

 _"Ha, I've never been to Las Vegas, so I can't really comment on that. I'm liking the illuminations so far though, they're actually really impressive, spectacular even. I never expected there be so many lights"._

 _"Six Miles of them to be exact"._

 _"Six Miles, are you serious?"._

 _"Yep. You wouldn't want to get that electricity bill would you?"_

 _"No. In fact I'm surprised you approve of this at all. Mr 'let's just sit in the dark tonight and save electricity, we only need to see the TV, and let's not forget in the bedroom, 'we don't need the light on Lucy, we only need to feel each other not see each other!'._

Ever since Lee had started properly contributing to the household bills he had become a bit obsessed with turning off lights.

" _Maybe I'm self conscious about my body"._

 _"Says the man who walks around the flat in nothing but his Boxer shorts. You even did that before we got together"._

 _"Alright, alright, but maybe when I turn lights off I'm thinking about the future of our planet, not saving money. As I said earlier, I'm an environmentalist"._

 _"Right, of course. Are you enjoying the illuminations though? I mean, if you're actually able to enjoy them given your overriding concern for the melting polar ice caps?"_

 _"I am enjoying them as it happens , and I'm glad you are too"._

 _"The horse drawn carriage is making it even more special isn't it? So romantic, and definitely worth the money"._

" _My money"_ , Lee interrupted.

Lucy chose to ignore that comment, continuing,

" _I feel like I'm in a Disney film. When I was a child I always dreamt about riding in one of these coaches with a Prince. Now I am"._

 _"A Prince? I've never been called that before. I've always been more of the Buttons figure"._

 _"Buttons?"_

 _"Yeah, you know...in Cinderella...the pantomime version. Buttons is the comedy figure, the servant who's in love with Cinderella and never manages to express those feelings. She's unaware of how he feels and only sees him as a brother"._

 _"Well, you're not Buttons anymore. You're my Prince. Prince Charming. Well...Prince Cheeky, Charming and Careful with money would be more accurate, but I wouldn't have you any other way"._

 _"Thanks. I love you Luce. Princess Luce"._

 _"I love you too"._

...

A few minutes later, they were sat in silence, hand in hand, just looking out of the window at the lights. Lucy squeezed Lee's hand.

" _You're quiet, want are you thinking about?"_

 _"Just...you"._

 _"Me?"_

 _"Yep, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you, that you love me. I still can't believe it sometimes, that you're mine. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning for a split second I panic that you and me being together has all been a dream, or that I'm still dreaming, that I'm still in a coma and none of this is real"._

 _"Lee, this is real. Believe me, this is...we are real. You daftie"_ , she said, taking his head in her hands and kissing him soundly on the lips...


	19. Chapter 19

**Ballroom Dancing**

Later that evening...

Lee and Lucy walked into the tower ballroom. It was a beautiful, luxurious and elegant room, decorated like a palace, with its high, ornately painted ceiling, crystal chandeliers, sprung wooden floor and balconies gilded with gold.

" _Wow Lee, this place is amazing! I've seen it on Strictly Come Dancing but the TV cameras don't do it justice"._

 _"I know. You'd never know how grand it is from the outside, would you? Did I ever tell you that my mum made me go to a ballroom dancing lesson here once"._

 _"No, you never told me that. You had ballroom dancing lessons? I can't imagine that somehow"._

 _"I was only seven. It was only one lesson, and I didn't remember any of what I was taught"._

 _"How come you only had one lesson?"_

 _"Well...you have to remember that I was only seven and I didn't know any better"._

 _"Why? What did you do?"_

 _"I broke a girl's toe"._

 _"How?"_

 _"I thought it would be funny to try on some of the high heeled dance shoes and then I trod on her toe while we were dancing. My mum was told not to bring me back"._

 _"That seems a bit harsh, if it was an accident"._

 _"Well, the girl says it wasn't but I still say it was. Though there was the another thing"._

 _"What other thing?"_

 _"I may have sort of mooned at the teacher"._

 _"May have sort of mooned?_

 _"Yeah, you know, pulled down my trousers and pants and showed my arse to shock her"._

 _"I know what mooning is. I mean...you either did or you didn't do it, there's no maybe about it. What possessed you to do that?"._

 _"Well, she horrible and impatient and I didn't even want to be there to start with. At that age I thought all girls had the lurgy, I didn't want to touch them, let alone dance with them. It was so embarrassing"._

 _"It's a good job you grew out of that stage then"._

 _"Yes, a few years later it was a whole different story...not that you want to hear about that, I'm sure"._

 _"No, do tell me"_ , Lucy said sarcastically.

" _Anyway...I decided I had to get myself thrown out so I wouldn't have to go back there"._

 _"Clearly it worked, though I don't know why you couldn't just tell your mum you didn't want to go"._

 _"I did, she wouldn't listen. I think she thought the lessons would be good for me, because I used to be a bit mischievous and mess around quite a bit"._

 _"Used to?_ ", Lucy said pointedly.

" _Yeah, alright sarky, maybe I should have stuck with the lessons. Maybe if I had stuck with them I would have started toeing the line and done better at school and been some sort of high flying lawyer or banker by now, instead of an ice cream man"._

 _"Maybe, but if you had become a high flying lawyer or banker you might never have moved in with me, and we might never have got together. So I for one am glad you became an ice cream man, and not any of those other things. And you're finally growing up now, so you're proving it's never too late"._

Lee beamed then. There was a time, not too long ago, when Lee would have considered being told he was growing up to be an insult. Now it made him proud. If being more responsible meant he could build a future with Lucy, then he was all for it.

" _So...fancy a dance then?_ ", Lee asked, taking Lucy's hand.

" _Thought you'd never ask. Let's see if you remember any of the moves I taught you a few months ago when you went dancing with my mum"._

Lee tensed up a bit then.

" _I'd rather not be reminded of that if you don't mind. I ended up with a black eye courtesy of your dad remember"._

 _"Oh yes, sorry. I won't mention it again. I'm still grateful for what you did that night though"._

 _"Yes, well. I didn't really do anything. Your dad just came to his senses"._

Lee shuddered to think what would have happened if Geoffrey hadn't arrived when he did. Though he knew he wouldn't have done anything more than dance with Wendy that night, the fact that he knew what her intentions had been still bothered him somewhat. He was trying to erase the whole thing from his mind. Not only was it disturbing to think about the 'what ifs', it was so important that Lucy never found out.

Apart from quite possibly saving Wendy and Geoffrey's marriage, there was another positive that had come out of the whole Wendy wanting to 'dance' with another man incident, and that was that things had improved quite a bit between them and Lee since that night.

There had been a setback of course, when they first caught the pair kissing on the sofa, but once Lucy's dad had calmed down over the initial shock of finding out his daughter and Lee were in a relationship, Geoffrey had started to warm to him slightly. They weren't exactly close, and Geoffrey still couldn't bring himself to actually like Lee as such, but he had come to accept Lee and Lucy were together, and Wendy was working on trying to improve relations between them further. Seeing how happy Lucy was, she had been making a big effort to persuade Geoffrey that Lee was actually a nice and decent person, and recently her efforts were finally starting to pay off.

" _Lee look at those old couples over there dancing together. I've always wanted to be one of those people...when I get to their age I mean...you know...still being romantic"._

 _"I know, it's so sweet to see, still so in love even after all those years"._

Lee and Lucy shared a silent moment, just looking at each, perhaps both thinking the same thing. Lucy noticed Lee putting his hand into his pocket then, something he'd done several times tonight.

" _Why do you keep putting your hand in your pocket? You've been doing that all evening"._

Lee looked guilty, hesitating before he answered,

" _No reason"._

 _"Don't tell me, you're just rearranging your family jewels?"_

 _"Something like that"._

Lee laughed nervously as he spoke, Lucy had no idea just how close to the truth she was.

" _Right, come on then, let's dance...if you've finished adjusting yourself, you'll need both hands for this"._

Lee just nodded and took Lucy's hand again. They made their way to the centre of the dancefloor, and stood facing each other.

" _You do know that these older people are so much better at dancing then we'll ever be, they're going to show us up",_ Lee said, feeling a bit self conscious.

" _You're probably right, but I don't care, let's just go for it. We're not on Strictly, we're not being judged",_ Lucy replied.

" _Where do I put this hand again?_ ", Lee asked, trying to remember the correct hold for a ballroom dance.

" _Here_ ", Lucy said as she placed Lee's right hand under her shoulder blade before taking his other hand in hers. They danced for some time, watching the other couples to copy their moves, managing a dance that at least resembled a Waltz, followed by something more freestyle.

...

They took a break to have a drink and one of the older couples approached them, striking up a conversation.

" _This is a wonderful place isn't it?",_ the grey haired lady said.

" _Yes, it is_ ", Lee and Lucy said in unison.

" _I'm a Jean by the way, and this is Reg"._

 _"Hello Jean, Reg. I'm Lucy, and this is Lee. Sorry about our awful dancing by the way, we're very much beginners"._

 _"You were doing just fine dear, everyone has to start somewhere. It's just lovely to see some young people here_ ", Jean said.

" _I brought Jean here the very first day I met her you know. It was 1960. We met on the pier, and I took her dancing that same evening. Within 3 months we were married and expecting our first child. We've come back here every year since",_ Reg added.

" _Aw, I think it's lovely that you still come here. And your dancing is fantastic, you know for..."_

 _"For our age?"_

 _"No, I didn't mean that"_ , Lucy said, wanting the ground to swallow her up. She really hoped she hadn't insulted the couple, they seemed so sweet.

" _It's okay, you can say it, we don't mind. We're both 79, and we dance every week back home in Kendal. It keeps, us young, and keeps us fit. It also keeps that certain magic and sparkle in the marriage, if you know what I mean_ ", Reg winked as he spoke.

" _Don't embarrass the poor loves, I'm sure they'd rather not think about us old people enjoying the physical side of marriage",_ Jean said.

Lee and Lucy laughed nervously and awkwardly.

" _Well...anyway...so you're from Kendal? We're heading to the Lake District in a couple of days actually",_ Lee said, changing the subject.

" _Ah, whereabouts?"_

 _"We've booked a week's stay in a cottage quite near Kendal funnily enough. It's in a quiet spot on the shore of Derwent Water"._

 _"Oh how lovely, a romantic break away, enjoy it won't you. Anyway, we'll leave you to lovebirds to it, our favourite song has just started to play so the dancefloor awaits"_ , Reg announced, taking his wife's hand.

" _Thanks, and it was nice to meet you"_ , Lucy said, before turning to Lee who was nodding as though to second what she said , " _Lee, I'm just going to nip to the ladies, I'll be back in a minute"._

Another senior gentleman, who was sitting at the next table, addressed Lee,

" _I hope you don't mind me saying, but you and your beautiful wife make a lovely couple. You remind me of me and my wife when we were your age"._

 _"Thanks, but we're not married, not yet anyway"._

 _"Oh, but you want to be?"_

 _"Of course I do. Lucy's an amazing woman"._

 _"I could tell by the way you were dancing together how in love you are. You look so right together"._

 _"Do we?"_ , Lee asked. Of course, being with Lucy felt more than right, but he didn't realise other people would think that just by looking at them.

" _Yes, that's why I assumed you were already married. Can I give you one piece of advice?"._

 _"Err..yes"._

 _"If she's the one, make sure you don't let her go"._

 _"I won't, not if I can help it. I'm very lucky to have her"._

 _"That's lovely to hear. Always remember that too. Never take the ones you love for granted, that's what life has taught me. Tell your lady you love her every day, and show her too. Try your best to give her everything she wants from life, make her happy"._

 _"I will, I'll try my best...so, are you and your wife not dancing then this evening?"._

 _"No, she's not too well at the moment I'm afraid"._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope she gets better soon. Are you here on your own tonight?", L_ ee asked, not seeing anyone with him.

" _No, Glenda's just over there chatting to some of the other ladies. Even though we can't really dance anymore we still like to come here to meet people, watch the dancing, soak up the atmosphere, you know"._

 _"Yeah? That's good, that you can still come here and enjoy yourselves"._

 _"Ah, your wife, sorry...your girlfriend...is back"._

 _"Okay, well, it was nice to meet you anyway"._

 _"You too. All the best to you and Lucy"._

 _"Thanks, and to you and Glenda"._

...

Lee and Lucy walked back onto the dancefloor.

" _You and that old man seemed to be engrossed in conversation when I was coming out of the ladies?"._

 _"Yes, he was really sweet actually. He said we make a lovely couple"._

 _"Well, he's right, we do",_ Lucy said, smiling as she spoke. Going onto her tiptoes she kissed Lee gently on the cheek, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

" _So...what dance do you reckon we should attempt now? Foxtrot, Cha Cha Cha, Quickstep?",_ Lucy asked.

" _Erm..how about an old fashioned slow dance to start with? At least we know how to do that without having to watch everyone else. I'd rather concentrate on you",_ Lee replied.

" _Oh, okay then"._

Lee brought Lucy close to him, letting his hands rest on her hips, and she encircled hers around his neck. Holding each other in this almost embrace, they swayed from side to side, then moved across the room, only occasionally breaking apart for Lee to twirl or dip her. After a little while, Lee let his hands wander away from Lucy's hips, moving them down to her backside. He expected her to move them away, but she didn't seem to mind. They stared into each other's eyes, lost in each other, practically forgetting everyone else in the room.

" _You know what they say don't you, about dancing?_ " Lucy whispered.

" _What's that?"_

 _"Dancing is a form of foreplay"._

Lee found himself looking around the dancefloor to make sure no one else had heard, before meeting her gaze again.

" _Is that right?",_ he breathed.

" _That's what they say"._

 _"And...do you agree with that? Is this working for you?",_ he said, daring to caress her bottom through her dress.

" _Yes, it's definitely working for me. Shall we go back to the hotel?"_

 _"Yes, but first I really want to show you the view from the top of the tower, it's amazing"._

 _"Are you sure? You don't want to go straight back to the hotel?"_

 _"Of course I do but can we just have a really quick look at the view first? It'll be worth it honestly"._

 _"Okay, I'll take your word for it"._

Lucy wasn't sure why Lee was so keen to go to the top of the tower, but she didn't argue. She assumed that maybe he was making her wait on purpose, because she'd told him he'd have to wait earlier.


	20. Chapter 20

**Top of the Tower**

As soon as they reached top of the tower and walked over to the viewing platform, Lee's body language changed.

" _Lee, are you okay? I thought heights didn't bother you"._

 _"_ _They don't"._

 _"_ _Oh, it's just you seem really on edge"._

 _"_ _I am a bit"._

 _"_ _Why?"_

Lee took Lucy's hands in his.

" _There's another reason I brought you up here, the main reason actually...it wasn't just to show you the view. I thought up here was the right setting to do this. There's something I want to say to you...to ask you. I'm nervous so I might babble, sorry. I know that this isn't exactly the Eiffel Tower, and Blackpool isn't as romantic as Paris, and I know we've only been together for a couple of months but...I...you're...the best thing that's ever happened to me, being with you has already changed my life in the best possible way. I've loved you since the first day we met, I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to settle down, make a life together, have children. I want us to be one of those couples we saw in the ballroom. I want to bring you back here when we're in our eighties and dance a foxtrot..."_

Lee sunk down on one knee then, and Lucy watched, open mouthed, as he reached into his pocket and took at a small box, opening it to reveal a stunning ring with an arrangement of tiny diamonds surrounding a single larger, gleaming diamond in the centre. It was simple, understated and elegant, just what Lucy would have chosen for herself.

" _Lucy...will you marry me?"_

She let out a little squeal, and tried to fight back tears, nodding as she tried to find her voice. She tried to steady her breathing, fearing she might be about to hyperventilate.

" _Yes!"._

She bent down to meet Lee as he got back up, kissing him firmly and passionately on the lips. When they parted, Lee spoke, his voice a little shaky,

" _You did just say yes didn't you? I did hear you right?"_

 _"_ _Of course I said yes. I love you so, so much. Let me see the ring again!"_

Lee took it out of the box and showed Lucy. She held out her finger and he slid the ring onto it.

" _Do you like it Luce?"_

 _"_ _I love it, it's absolutely beautiful. You chose well"._

 _"Actually I didn't really choose it, it's a family heirloom. It was my nans, she gave it to me before she died, she always told me that one day I'd find someone special...the one, and when I found that person she wanted this to be their engagement ring. You're the one, Lucy, I've always known it"._

Lucy felt a tear rolling down her cheek then, despite her efforts to stop herself from crying.

" _Lee...thank you, this is so special. It's amazing, your nan must have had exactly the same size fingers as me. It fits, it's perfect"._

 _"Actually, I confess I borrowed one of your rings and took it to a jewellers, had this one cleaned and adjusted"._

 _"You're so sneaky, I never noticed. So, is this why you kept putting your hands in your pocket earlier? You really were checking your family jewels, literally this time?"._

 _"Yes, I was paranoid the box was going to fall out of my pocket and I'd lose it or you'd see it, spoil the surprise. I had to keep checking it was still in there. Was it a surprise then? Did you have any idea I was going to propose?"_

 _"No, not until the moment you said you had something to ask me and went all nervous, and even then I hardly dared hope. I can't tell you how happy I am right now"._

 _"_ _And you, Luce...my love...have made me the happiest man on earth. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stop smiling. Come here"._

Lee brought Lucy into his arms then and they hugged, holding each other tightly, not wanting to let each other go. After a while, Lucy let her hands begin to move over Lee's back, and he reciprocated, caressing her, dipping his head to kiss her neck. She gasped, her breathing becoming unsteady as he continued.

" _Right...L..lee...it's about time...you and...me went back to...our hotel...I made you a promise earlier remember"._

 _"_ _Oh yes, I remember, and I'm holding you to it..."_ , Lee whispered, mumbling against her skin as he continued to tease her with his lips.

" _You'd better...s..top..that then...before this...gets out of hand...and we...get arrested for...indecency"._

Lee stopped what he was doing then, and met Lucy's gaze. Her eyes were dark with desire, mirroring his own.

" _Come on, let's get in the lift",_ Lee said, sounding a little breathless.

They almost raced to the door and pressed the button to call the lift. They stood and waited, and it seemed to take forever to reach them.

" _Hurry up!",_ Lee exclaimed, as though the lift would somehow hear him and speed up. He kept hitting the lift call button, clearly getting frustrated.

" _I hope you're not going to be in this much of a rush when we get back to the hotel room. Given that we've been waiting all evening to...be alone together I was planning on the...actual event lasting for longer than thirty seconds...if that's alright with you"._

 _"_ _I'll try my best. So...your plans...what do they involve...exactly?"._

 _"_ _You want me to tell you what I had in mind...here?"_

 _"_ _Yes",_ Lee replied.

Lucy shivered as she met Lee's gaze. His eyes were alight and twinkling, full of mischief and lust.

" _Well... for starters I was thinking we should get a bottle of Champagne on ice from the bar to take back to the room, seeing as tonight is a special occasion"._

 _"_ _Won't that be a bit expensive?"_

 _"_ _Alright, Prosecco then"._

 _"_ _Sounds good. So...what about the main course?"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _If the Prosecco is for starters, what about the main course? What's on the menu?"_

Lucy stayed silent for a few seconds, she was obviously thinking hard.

" _Well...actually, can we not continue with the meal analogy because I can't think of any suitable euphemisms to come back with. Apart from referring to your 'meat and two veg" and that's not even remotely sexy"._

 _"_ _You don't think my meat and two veg are sexy?"._

 _"_ _I meant the phrase"._

 _"_ _Oh, I think that can be sexy too, depending on the rest of the sentence. I can't believe that's all you can think of either, I can think of loads of euphemisms"._

Lucy rolled her eyes. Of course he could. Euphemisms, double entendres and innuendoes were Lee's areas of expertise, linguistically speaking.

" _Go on then, enlighten me"._

 _"_ _Okay...well an obvious one is..."_

Lee proceeded to reel off food and meal based euphemisms for every body part and sexual act he could think of, just as the doors to the lift finally opened and they stepped inside. He continued until they reached the ground floor and left the Tower to start walking back to the hotel.

" _Impressive_ ", Lucy said as Lee concluded his list, " _but if you don't mind I'd rather not use any of them. I prefer to call a spade a spade. Well, up to a point anyway, I want to turn you on not give you a biology lesson"._

 _"Luce, believe me...you don't actually need to speak at all to turn me on. You do that just by...being. Having said that, I believe you were going to tell me exactly what you had in mind for us tonight"._

 _"Lee, there's people around, they might hear us"._

 _"_ _No they won't, they're all too busy having their own own conversations"._

 _"_ _Okay...you know the first thing you mentioned when you were running with the meal analogy a minute ago?"_

 _"_ _Yes...you want me to do that? Again? For the second time today?"._

 _"_ _If you don't mind"._

Lucy was blushing profusely now.

" _Such a naughty girl, and so brazen, asking me to do that more than once in a day. Of course I don't mind though. I'm always hungry for you, and you taste so, so good"._

Lucy felt a delicious tightening and throbbing at her core. When Lee talked dirty it did unspeakable things to her.

" _Lee...",_ Lucy choked, fearing she might just explode before they reached the hotel if he continued to talk like that".

He continued undeterred,

" _I've got an idea too, to make it even more pleasurable for you"._

 _"_ _More pleasurable?,_ Lucy whispered. She couldn't imagine that was even possible. " _What idea?"_

 _"_ _Wait and see. It involves the Prosecco, that's all I'm going to say"._

 _"_ _Oh?...Oh",_ Lucy gulped, as she guessed what Lee was thinking. It may have been chilly outside but Lucy felt her temperature rise, her skin flush. She took Lee's hand and began to jog, pulling him with her.

" _Luce...Luce...why are we running?"_ , Lee panted, sounding out of breath.

" _Because if we don't get to the hotel in a minute there's a danger I might just pull you into an alleyway and let you take me there and then"._

 _"_ _Bloody hell Luce, don't tempt me. We'd better talk about something else for a minute"._

 _"_ _Why, you wouldn't really do that would you, outside?"_

 _"_ _Maybe not, but I think we ought to continue this conversation back in our room otherwise I'll be in danger of having to walk into the hotel reception with a massive hard on"._

 _"_ _Okay, but if it's alright with you when we get back to the hotel I'm thinking a little less conversation a little more action"._

 _"_ _Not gonna argue with that",_ Lee panted as the hotel finally came into view and they slowed down, their running becoming a fast walk...


	21. Chapter 21

**This is the final chapter of Going Out. I have really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it. I've started another couple of stories so I'll be working on them for the time being and hopefully publish something very soon.**

 **Back at the hotel**

Several hours later...

Lee was playing with Lucys hair, gently twirling a lock of it around his finger as she rested her head on his chest.

They were both exhausted, their skin flushed and covered in perspiration, their breathing still slowing down.

" _Lee?",_ Lucy whispered, sounding somewhat sleepy but sated and content.

" _Hmmm?"_

 _"_ _Do you think it will always be like this, with us?"._

 _"_ _How do you mean?"_

 _"_ _I mean, the not being able to get enough of each other, physically"._

 _"_ _I hope so"._

 _"_ _I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you, you know. It almost scares me how much I want you"._

 _"_ _Me neither, I'm completely addicted to you Luce. I mean, by all accounts a man of my age shouldn't even be able to manage sex this many times in one day. I should be worn out, but somehow you keep me going"._

 _"_ _You've got impressive stamina for a man who's nearly Forty I'll give you that. It must be all the exercise you're doing with me"._

 _"_ _Not so much of the nearly Forty thank you, I prefer to say I'm in my Thirties. It sounds younger"_.

Lee let go of Lucy's hair and she moved then, planting a brief kiss on his chest before settling at his side, entwining her fingers with his.

" _Forty isn't old, I went out with a man in his Fifties remember"._

Lee turned onto his side to face her. The reference to Guy made him feel slightly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

" _Yes, I remember, though I'd rather not be reminded of that smarmy git. God, I hated him"._

 _"_ _I know you did, you made that very clear. You were right though, he was an absolute arsehole. I don't know what I ever saw in him"._

 _"_ _I do, you told me enough times when you were dating him. You told me he was charming, that he was an excellent lover"._

 _"_ _Yeah, well, I thought he was at the time, but that was before I'd...been with you"._

 _"_ _Am I a better lover than Guy then?"_

Lucy turned to look at Lee then. She had assumed he was just fishing for compliments but noticed he looked serious for once.

" _Of course you are! Lee, why are you even having to ask me that? Do I detect a hint of insecurity?"_

 _"_ _I dunno. It's mainly curiosity I suppose, though maybe there's s bit of insecurity"._

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _Sorry, I can't help it. Guy was handsome, suave and sophisticated, and I'm never going to be any of those things. And he was probably a far more experienced lover than me"._

Lucy sat up in bed then, and Lee followed suit. She thought for a few moments, then spoke,

" _Right, listen to me. Firstly, you are handsome, you know how much I fancy you. Not only that, you're charming, sexy, caring and romantic. Maybe even more importantly, you're fun to be with, and you have a sense of humour. In all the time I was with Guy I hardly ever saw him laugh you know, and I'm not sure he ever made me laugh. I used to spend time with him sometimes, maybe something would amuse me, then I'd look at him and he'd be stoney faced, not even cracking a smile. At those times I'd find myself thinking about you, about how if I'd been with you we would've been laughing together. Sometimes I'd come back to the flat after spending the day with him and immediately my mood would pick up. I'd see you and feel happier and more relaxed straight away. I couldn't really be myself with him"._

 _"_ _I never knew you felt that way. If I'd realised how unhappy you were with him I'd have tried to intervene sooner"._

 _"_ _Yeah, well I probably wouldn't have listened to you, you know how stubborn I am. You see, Guy may have been suave and sophisticated but he was also boring, not to mention controlling. He tried to tell me what to wear, what to eat, what stuff I should like doing. He wasn't always that nice to me, and I never felt comfortable with what he did for a living. And, he may have been more experienced in the bedroom but he could learn a thing of two from you believe me"._

 _"_ _Oh, okay. Look Luce, I'm..."._

Lucy could hear the relief in Lee's voice. He felt guilty now, guilty for asking questions about Guy and making Lucy dig up obviously painful memories. She interrupted,

" _I never loved him you know, I was infatuated maybe, but I never loved him. I do, however, love you. So, can we please stop talking about Guy now, he's threatening to spoil what's been a perfect day"._

 _"_ _Yes, and I'm sorry for making you talk about him. It's just that sometimes I still find it incredible that you want to be with me, I mean...I'm not stupid, I know I'm punching way above my weight here. You're by far a better person than me in every conceivable way so I just worry occasionally that you're going to come to your senses and..."_

Lee was unable to finsish his sentence, as his words were cut off by Lucy, silencing him with a kiss, her lips soft yet insistent against his. She felt him smile against her mouth then respond, opening his mouth to hers and deepening the kiss. Some time passed before they broke the kiss, and for a few moments they could only stare into each other's eyes, trying to catch their breaths.

" _You're wrong you know, you are stupid_ ", Lucy whispered.

" _Oh, thanks! I admire your honesty but you didn't have to be quite so blunt. I've got feelings you know"._

Lucy could hear a playfulness in Lee's voice now. Thank God he realised she wasn't really insulting him. She observed a look of mock affront on his face.

" _You are stupid, for still believing you're not good enough for me, even after all this time and everything that's happened between us. I need you to get your head around the fact that you are good enough, once and for all. I love you, and I'm going to marry you.. I know it's natural to have insecurities...everyone has them but know this...you are all I've ever wanted and will ever want, so I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me for life I'm afraid"._

Something changed for Lee at that moment, as he listened to Lucy's speech, her words, so heartfelt and powerful, finally extinguishing the nagging doubts and insecurities that had refused to leave him until now. He tried his best to fight back the tears, but he was overcome with emotion, bursting with happiness. He loved Lucy so much it hurt, and it had truly sunk in now, that he wasnt dreaming any of this. He was actually going to marry and spend the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams.

" _Lee, are you crying? Did I make you cry?"_

 _"_ _No, I'm not crying, there must be something in my eye",_ Lee choked, not sounding at all convincing.

" _Oh, right",_ Lucy said, chuckling.

She gently wiped his tears away with her thumbs, then wound her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Lee pulled her onto his lap, and held her close as they continued to talk.

" _Promise me from now on, well forget about the past, and concentrate on planning a future, our future",_ Lucy whispered.

" _I promise"_ , Lee replied, bending down to kiss the top of Lucy's head.

" _Starting with our wedding?"_

 _"_ _You want to start the wedding planning, right now?"_ , Lee asked.

" _Not right now, when we get back from our holiday. Right now I think we both need to get some sleep"._

 _"_ _Now, that sounds like a good plan"_ , Lee replied. He could feel the tiredness starting to wash over him, the excertions of the day, emotional and physical, finally getting the better of him.

They lay down on the bed, Lee settling behind Lucy, draping an arm around her waist. She placed her hand on top of his, idly stroking her fingers over it.

" _Goodnight Lee",_ she whispered, but didn't get an answer. Lee was already asleep, softly murmuring in her ear as she drifted off...


End file.
